An Early Interaction With Kobe Inspired Julius Randle To Give Back

Julius Randle spoke on the importance of giving back as an athlete and its impact on high schoolers.

“I remember the first time I met Kobe as a kid, and I shook his hand… I remember the feeling that gave me as a kid. If I can give any of these kids that type of inspiration and hope, then I’ll feel like I did a good job.”

It was an odd site pulling up to Camden High School after attending Minnesota Timberwolves media availability.

I’ve driven by Camden dozens of times to see patients for my day job. The parking lot, normally packed full, had ten spots cleared out by Door 5. I parked in my designated spot and braved the 20-degree weather to head inside.

Within seconds of entering the school, a member of Skechers public relations snagged me, telling me to hide my media lanyard as no one except the top school officials knew what would take place at Camden’s winter pep rally.

I tucked the lanyard into my jacket and watched the entire student body fill the pep rally. A group of girls noticed a Skechers sign in front of a side door.

“What the heck (I’m pretending I heard heck) is that doing there?” One of the girls asked. The other shrugged as they walked into the gym.

As more students filed into the gym, teachers at the school made it a point to usher every last student out of the atrium. Then, the administrators of Camden brought every teacher into the gym. As the atrium emptied and the pep rally began, Crunch appeared at the back door.

The pep rally continued as Crunch warmed up and got into position. However, someone was still missing as the band and cheerleaders played their last song and routine. The Skechers officials, hiding in plain clothes, started making calls and texts. The school administrator yelled for an encore, and the band fired up again.

“That went way faster than we planned,” an administrator from the school tells a Skechers official. Moments later, an SUV pulled up to Door 5. Out stepped the surprise everyone had been waiting for:

Julius Randle in blue, led by his wife, Kendra Randle in red.

An administrator hands Randle a $30,000 comically large check as Crunch frantically attempts to use his version of sign language to tell Randle the plan (Crunch is always in character). Seconds later, the impromptu encore ends, and Randle follows Crunch through a tunnel of cheerleaders into the gym to thundering applause.

He walked to a wooden podium, waving to the student body before leaning into the mic to speak.

“I’m very excited to be here and give back, spend time with you guys,” Randle said shortly after announcing the $30,000 donation through Skechers Adopt a Classroom program.

“I appreciate you guys’ support,” he continued. “I love you guys, and thank you.”

The program focuses on giving teachers direct resources to provide better equipment and supplies for the classroom, a need that directly impacts students and teachers.

According to a 2024 Skechers survey, 77% of teachers spend their own money on classroom supplies, an average of $860 annually. Edison’s money will help provide more inclusive and equitable classrooms.

As the student body left the gym, the administrators asked the cheer team and girls and boys basketball teams to stay at center court. Randle left the podium to give hugs and handshakes to the students. His blue outfit slowly disappeared into the students as he attempted to make time for everyone. Randle’s head would finally pop out of the sea athletes, and they all posed for a picture.

After the photo, Randle signed a shoe for the school’s trophy case before leaning into the microphone at the podium again.

He held up his signed shoe. “Y’all like these?” he said, smiling.

“Basketball season is coming up,” he said. “I want to wish you good luck.… Skechers has a card for you guys, go on the website and get some new shoes.”

Randle then made it a point to pass out every swag bag of Wolves gear and Skechers bag to the basketball teams. He also shook hands, laughed at jokes, took photos, and talked to everyone who approached.

After the players got their bags and shoe cards, Randle spoke about why he felt he needed to give back to Minnesota after arriving just three months ago via trade.

“Ever since I’ve come to Minnesota, they’ve welcomed me with open arms,” Randle said. “The people of Minnesota have been super welcoming, and I’m just excited to be a part of the community.”

Randle also offered his advice to any kid trying to overcome a challenging situation or any student he didn’t have a chance to talk to at the pep rally.

“Whatever you put your mind to, you can achieve,” he said. “For me, I always had tunnel vision on my goals.… I knew the sacrifice was worth it, and I’m here living my dream now.”

As the assembled cameras cleared and the gym emptied, Randle left the podium and began walking out. A couple of students approached, asking for a photo; Randle graciously accepted and posed with them. He got to the free throw line on the far side from the exit before a student, and one final camera approached him.

“Could you take one more for Camden News (the high school news station)?” the cameraman asked.

Randle stopped and smiled as Eleanor, a student reporter for the school’s news station, approached to ask the final question of the day.

“What inspiration do you have for the students to keep going forward?” Eleanor of the student news program asked after thanking Randle for coming to the school.

“I would just say to stay steadfast,” Randle said. “For me, it was to have a dream, obviously, to go to college.”

Randle left as quietly as he came. He took a couple more photos with students on his way to the SUV parked outside, and then he drove off with his wife.

As I left the atrium and returned to my car on that cold Wednesday afternoon, I took time to reflect. A week before Christmas, Randle took time out of his day after a hard practice, just over 24 hours before his first time playing his former New York Knicks team and months after being traded to a completely new city and state, to spend time with high school students.

As the parking lot emptied, I noticed a lot of students wearing blue Wolves hats, which they received in the swag bags as they left, and it sunk in for me.

Regardless of how this season and the future play out for Randle, he made an impact greater than basketball in that high school. Perhaps one day, one of those students will visit a different high school and remember the first time they shook Julius Randle’s hand.