DALLAS — Well before he represented one of the Lakers’ key rebuilding pieces, second-year forward Julius Randle graced his showed his allegiance for the purple-and-gold in a different way.
Ever since he was in sixth grade growing up in Plano, Texas, the 20-year-old Randle reported attending every single Mavericks home game when they hosted the Lakers.
“Me being courtside, watching Kobe, Lamar and Metta all those guys and going crazy,” Randle reflected. “Sitting next to Mark Cuban’s wife, cheering for the Lakers. That was fun.”
All those years later, Randle will make his NBA debut in front of his hometown when the Lakers (1-7) visit the Dallas Mavericks (4-4) on Friday at American Airlines Center.