On Thursday night, the Los Angeles Lakers took their first step in the rebuilding process by selecting Kentucky’s Julius Randle with the seventh overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.
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Before becoming a Laker, Julius Randle talked to Mark Anthony Green of GQ.com about numerous topics including whether he would rather play with or against LeBron James:
“I’d rather play against LeBron. I just have an older mentality. I want to beat the best. Maybe in the future I’d want to play with him. I’ve been watching him my whole life. I’d rather compete against him and try and beat him than be on his team.”
Growing up, Randle was a Kobe Bryant and Lakers fan. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the power forward has an older mentality and would rather beat the four-time MVP than play with him.
Although there are still concerns about his foot, Randle clearly has a chip on his shoulder and is looking to show teams that passed on him that he is in fact the top talent in this year’s draft. Fortunately for the Lakers, the franchise has perhaps the most NBA-ready prospect and Randle should contribute immediately.
With the draft over, all the focus now for the Lakers is on their coaching search and free agency. The team has reportedly interviewed Byron Scott three times and he is considered the frontrunner for the head coaching position. As for free agency, the team is expected to meet with Carmelo Anthony and hopeful of meeting with James.
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Lakers Mitch Kupchak On Coach Search And Free Agency
