The Los Angeles Lakers selected Kentucky power forward Julius Randle with the seventh overall pick last night. He posted a childhood photo on Instagram afterwards to show just how long he’s been a Lakers fan.
There were question marks surrounding Randle heading into the draft, as multiple teams believed he would need surgery on his foot. This did not deter Mitch Kupchak and the Lakers from selecting him in the first round.
In speaking to ESPN’s Jay Williams after being drafted, he said the teams that passed on him would regret it and called Los Angeles the perfect spot for him. You can watch the video here:
Randle also called Kobe Bryant his idol, and seemed genuinely excited to be learning from the five-time NBA champion. Later in the night, he tweeted a photo of himself wearing a Kobe jersey as a kid:
Kobe approved of the draft selection:
Welcome Home @J30_RANDLE from one legendary institution to one epic franchise #LakersDraft
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) June 27, 2014
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What the Lakers roster will look like on opening night is up in the air at the moment. The team only has four players under contract — Bryant, Steve Nash, Robert Sacre, Kendall Marshall — at the moment, and depending on how things shake out in free agency with Pau Gasol, Randle may be asked to play a huge role right away.
As for surgery on his foot, via Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News, Randle spoke with the media after the draft and expects to be ready for training camp even if surgery is required:
After the Lakers’ losses piled up last season with never-ending injuries, will Randle help the purple and gold end that string of bad luck? Multiple reports indicated several NBA executives felt concerned about Randle’s right foot and suspected that it would need surgery.
That fear stemmed from Randle breaking his right foot in the second game of his senior season at Prestonwood Christian Academy in Texas. A screw was then incorrectly inserted into the foot.
“They might want to do a surgery,” Randle said of a pending meeting with the Lakers’ training staff. “I honestly don’t know what to expect. I know if I do a surgery, I’ll be ready before the start of training camp.”
That’s great news for Lakers fans, because they’re going to need their rookie forward to contribute right away if they want to get back to contending in the Western Conference soon.
What do you think?
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