The Los Angeles Lakers worked out Julius Randle on Tuesday morning. Despite reports that Randle would need foot surgery, Randle said he met with the best foot doctor in the country, and said there is no scheduled surgery on his foot. Check out our excerpts from his chat with the media after his workout below.
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On reports that he would need foot surgery:
“I met with the best foot doctor in the country and he said he wouldn’t do anything with my foot, so there’s no scheduled surgery or anything. I feel healthy, athletic, I’m moving great. No problems recovering and I’m ready to go.”
On whether teams have made a big deal out of his foot:
“I think a lot of it has come from maybe some teams trying to use some motives maybe for me to fall in the draft to them or certain teams may want me.”
Rating himself against some of the other bigs, Vonleh, Gordon, Embiid:
“How would I rate myself against them? I feel like I’m the best one. I don’t put myself second to anybody. That’s my attitude on the floor. Attitude when I compete. That’s just how I was raised to be.”
On initial impressions of being in the Lakers facility after growing up a Lakers fan:
“It was definitely a humbling experience. I just kind of looked at the court, looked at the purple and gold, kind of just gave me chills right now. From a little kid, I grew up and I was the biggest Lakers fan probably more of a Kobe fan but it didn’t matter! I was just the biggest Lakers fan and it was just humbling coming from where I come from going through what I go through. To finally, being on this court playing and practicing it was definitely crazy for me.”
On what it would mean to be drafted by the Lakers and play with Kobe Bryant:
“I heard Kobe’s a little tough on rookies, but I don’t care! Just to be in a program like this, an organization like this, with such great owners and such a great front office. City of Los Angeles, that expects nothing but championships. What more could I ask for? I’m a little prepared for it because coming from Kentucky, you lose a game and they go crazy!”
On where he goes in the draft and whether or not that matters to him:
“I don’t care. I know God is going to put me where he wants me to be, where he thinks I’ll excel the most. So, wherever I am, I’m not second guessing it. I”m going to put my head down, work as hard as I can and have the best possible career as I can.”
On the feedback he’s been given throughout the pre-draft workout process:
“Great feedback. Everybody’s been really impressed with what I’ve done. The feedback’s been great. I’ve put myself in a position to be able to excel, and I think these workouts have been going great if you ask me.”
On his defensive struggles and how he sees carrying that to the NBA level:
“I think I got a lot better at it towards the end of the year. The biggest thing is last year was the first year I was ever held accountable on the defensive end, as far as stopping my man, but it wasn’t really just about about my man. It was about taking care of the guy next to you. It was kind of the first year I was held accountable for that and I got better at it, at the end of the year. I can move my feet well, fast, athletic. As far as me on the defensive end, I don’t think it’s going to be a struggle because I’m such a competitor.”
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VIDEO: Julius Randle Responds To Foot Surgery Reports