That was Randall's island.
Julius Randle, the superstar power forward who was traded from the Knicks to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a shocking trade Friday night, loves Manhattan — and Manhattan loves him.
News of his big trade is sure to sadden some New Yorkers who have often told him to “don't move.”
“People told me how much they loved being a Knick and how much the team needed me,” he told The Post on Wednesday about the interaction on the city's streets. . “I'm telling you to never go anywhere. To be Nick forever.”
Randall, 29, lives on the Upper West Side with his wife, Kendra, and sons Kaiden, 7, and Jaycee, 2. But he was also interested in another New York hotpot, Brooklyn's Cobble Hill, and was planning on taking 30 lucky fans there. Tour there.
On Oct. 10, the 6-foot-8, three-time All-Star was scheduled to host a 40-minute game. bus tourIn partnership with Topo Chico Mineral Water, we'll be stopping at three of his favorite locations. Events are currently in the air.
Our first stop was Taqueria Al Pastor & Bar, a Mexican restaurant. These chicken quesadillas and tacos remind the Dallas native of home.
“I'm from Texas, so I'm used to Tex-Mex food. That's my go-to.”
The second stop was going to be Brooklyn Circus, a clothing store, where Randall picked up one of his favorite items, a black letterman jacket.
“I happened to give it to one of my best friends because he really wanted it,” he said.
When I asked him how many pairs of sneakers he had, he laughed and said, “Too many. Thousands.”
Randle, who now earns more than $29 million a year, recalled a time when sneaker budgets were much smaller.
“I went to school and grew up with my mom saying, ‘Okay, buy white shoes and black shoes.’ You have to make it work year-round,” he said. Ta.
“So when I had the option of getting anything I wanted, I kind of went overboard and started collecting in earnest. So I stored a lot of shoes in a warehouse.”
The final stop on the planned tour was to be Black Gold Records, a cafe and record store. Randall doesn't drink coffee, but he loves the record selection.
“I'm a big Jay-Z fan. They had some old Jay-Z's… They had DMX there, they had old-school Busta Rhymes, all that kind of stuff.” he said.
He listens to different playlists before and after games.
“There might be something to get excited about before a game. I always listen to Drake because he's my favorite artist… But during the season, I get so excited that I listen to classical music before a game. “You’re going to listen to it,” he explained.
“There was something calming about me after the game. I love R&B, SZA, Summer Walker, Usher. I'm also a big old school fan. When I was little, I would ride around in my mom's car and listen to Al Green and Whitney. I remember listening to Houston.”
Although not on tour, his favorite pizza place is also in Brooklyn, at Lucari in Carroll Gardens.
“I’m a big fan of calzones with prosciutto or pepperoni,” he said.
He buys burgers from Manhattan chain Black Tap and Tribeca restaurant Au Cheval, and hopes to try one at MSG someday.
“I've been hearing for the past couple of years that the burgers at The Garden are great. I haven't felt it yet,” he said.
Now he probably never will.
