Julius Randle’s return to New York came with more than basketball on his mind. Appearing on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon Tuesday, the Minnesota Timberwolves forward reflected on a daring hobby that’s as unexpected as it is revealing, per SI. Fallon brought up Randle’s shark-diving experience from last summer, prompting laughter from the All-Star.
“A lot is wrong with me,” Randle joked, setting up the story as the audience watched video of him and his wife inside a diving cage surrounded by sharks. “This is me and my wife, we’re down there in the cage. But then we get down there, it’s amazing. It’s peaceful.”
What motivated him to take such a fearless plunge? The late Kobe Bryant.
“He was a big motivator for doing this because he used to go to South Africa and he used to dive, and swim with the great whites and stuff like that,” Randle said. “So we used to talk about it all the time, so I was like, I want to do it eventually.”
“[Kobe Bryant] was a big motivator for doing this because he used to go to South Africa and he used to swim with the great whites… we used to talk about it all the time.”
Julius Randle on what inspired him to swim with sharks 🦈
(via @FallonTonight)pic.twitter.com/o05IVRt4MB
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 5, 2025
Randle played his rookie season under Bryant with the Lakers, and the “Mamba Mentality” clearly stayed with him. The courage that once drove his workouts now seems to fuel his life beyond the court.
From Lakers Roots to Timberwolves Power
Randle’s Tonight Show chat wasn’t all about sharks and inspiration. The conversation turned to Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards, who’s missed several games due to a strained hamstring. Randle, who’s carried the team during that stretch, had high praise for his younger teammate.
“He’s the best teammate. He’s your biggest cheerleader,” Randle said. “He has the charisma. He talks a lot of trash, but it’s part of the game. I like to take his money in cards on the plane, but he’s got the aura.”
Even without Edwards, Randle has been dominant. He’s averaging 26.0 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 5.9 assists while shooting an efficient 55.8% from the field and 43.2% from three. His recent triple-double against Brooklyn showed how seamlessly he’s adjusted since joining Minnesota in the blockbuster trade that sent Karl-Anthony Towns to New York.
Towns, now anchoring the Knicks’ frontcourt, is averaging 20.3 points and 13.1 rebounds, though his shooting has dipped below expectations. Wednesday’s matchup at Madison Square Garden marks Randle’s second regular-season game back in New York since the trade, adding emotional weight to an already nationally televised showdown on ESPN.
For Randle, it’s another chance to prove that the drive instilled by Kobe Bryant—whether it’s facing sharks or facing the Knicks—still defines how he approaches every challenge.
