Randle’s mental health allowed Knicks to bounce back

Randle, now in his fourth season in New York, has returned to a high level of play as he has opted to meditate and modify his training habits heading into the 2022-23 season.

With his remarkable production, which, for example, has led to him being named Eastern Conference Player of the Week, the Knicks are on their best run of the season, seemingly on track to secure a playoff berth.

An up-and-down past on the court
Randle’s natural talent has never been in doubt. In fact, the skills he displayed during his college years led him to be drafted in the first round of the 2014 Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers.

However, youth and inexperience never allowed Randle to take off on the West Coast, leaving for the New Orleans Pelicans for the 2017-2018 season.

A year later he would arrive in New York, a franchise where he has seemed to adopt the team’s alpha tag, which he even led to the postseason from 2000-21.

Unexpectedly, Randle lowered his level during the next two seasons, the same ones in which New York also failed to qualify for the second round.

A present with dedication beyond talent
This season, Randle made some decisions to get his career back on track.

One of them was to move his personal trainer, Amolia Cesar, to New York and adopt a training strategy that, during this season, includes “active breaks”, that is, personalized training routines even on days when the Knicks do not play.

In addition, he has chosen to work on self-control, so he meditates for an hour a day. His explosive temper, which once earned him ejections and punishments, is now a thing of the past.

At 28 years old, Randle is having his best season, averaging 25.4 points and 10.4 rebounds, making him the team leader in both categories.

In addition, Randle has played every game on the schedule, averaging 35.8 minutes.

“For now, I’d rather focus on the things I can control. Keep the balance,” Randle said when asked about his new attitude on the court.

His commitment has the Knicks with an undefeated record over the past two weeks as they look to extend their good momentum into the postseason.