Legendary Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was highly complimentary of Julius Randle after working with him with the USA Select Team
Whenever it was first announced that D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle (and not-yet-a-Laker Brandon Ingram as well) would be representing the Los Angeles Lakers for the USA Select Team at the Team USA Basketball training camp in Las Vegas, there was reason to be excited. Not only was it a recognition of young talent, but also a chance for Randle and Russell to further develop under some of the best coaches in the league such as San Antonio Spurs head honcho Gregg Popovich.
It’s been less than a week that the young Lakers have been in Team USA camp, but the praise has already been outpouring for the now trio of Lakers. Russell has been visibly performing well in the video that we’ve seen, Ingram was complimented highly by Kevin Durant, and now Randle is getting one of the most stoic men in any room, Popovich, to lump praise on him.
Popovich was asked about coaching Randle with the USA Select Team and, while Pop admitted that he and the Lakers forward hadn’t crossed paths often prior to camp, he stated that Randle was a hard-worker. The Spurs coach described the Kentucky product as “very coachable,” lauding him for his listening ability and saying that he’s been a joy to coach thus far.
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Not to be lost in this, Pop also added that he like Randle’s sense of humor and that the Lakers forward was willing to toss jokes back and forth. Sign me up for getting that on video as soon as possible.
In all seriousness, it’s a fantastic sign to see a young player like Randle receiving this type of praise in this environment from any of the coaches in Vegas, but it’s even more impressive coming from Pop.
Love or hate the Spurs, you can’t argue with the genius and the success of Popovich over the years. So when he’s applauding Julius Randle for his work-ethic, personality, and coachability, that speaks volumes about the Lakers forward and the work he’s putting in to prepare for the 2016-17 season.