Knicks star Julius Randle helping to give back to Bronx charter school
Knicks forward Julius Randle gestures in the first half of an NBA game against the Miami Heat at Madison Square Garden on Jan. 27. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Over the last five seasons Julius Randle has made his mark on the floor at Madison Square Garden, making three All-Star teams and being honored as a two-time All-NBA player while helping the Knicks turn the franchise around.
But it will be a court in the South Bronx, at the Earl Monroe New Renaissance Charter Basketball High School that there will be a decal officially naming the school’s basketball floor The Julius Randle All-Star Court.
The honor, which came as part of the groundbreaking at the not-for-profit charter school that is scheduled to open in January 2026, is a recognition of Randle’s work on the court — his 30 for 3 fundraising effort that had him contributing money for every three-pointer he hit over the last three seasons. His donations have exceeded $1.3 million.
This was the final stop on what has been a summer spent all over New York with his family, starting with lighting the Empire State Building for Memorial Sloan Kettering and including stops at baseball and soccer games. But the work for Randle will begin in earnest Monday when the Knicks head off to Charleston for training camp.
His summer has also included tedious rehabilitation work after undergoing a surgical procedure to strengthen his right shoulder after spending months trying to work his way back from a dislocated shoulder suffered midway through last season. The Knicks’ high hopes for the upcoming season will depend, in no small part, on his health as they hope to recreate the 11-1 record posted after the trade for OG Anunoby and before both Randle and Anunoby suffered injuries that shut them down for much of the remainder of the season.
Even before the news surfaced Monday that Mitchell Robinson would be sidelined until at leastDecember or January, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau told NBA.com that Randle might have to add playing center to his duties, primarily because of Isaiah Hartenstein’s free-agency departure.
“We’ll look at some different things, because we have versatility,” Thibodeau said. “We could see Julius more at the 5. I don’t want to do that for long stretches, it would take its toll, but to have him do it for 10 or 15 minutes, I think he can do it well.”
Wednesday morning would be this one more stop, joining Thibodeau and NBA commissioner Adam Silver among others to celebrate the school that was started by filmmaker and playwright Dan Klores, who serves as the Chairman of the Board for the school.
“It was Earl’s involvement. Dan, [agent] Aaron Mintz, a lot of different people that helped me get involved,” Randle said of joining on to the project. “But, you know, I was always just looking for a way to give back, get back to the youth, more importantly.
“It’s really a highlight and praise for Earl and Dan. You know, my job is easy, go out there and shoot some threes and make some threes and get highlights, raise awareness. But those guys are really pounding the pavement.
“They put in the groundwork every single day, from raising money for the school, getting donors involved, hiring educators, the teachers, raising these kids’ reading levels. All these different type of things every day, they’re heavily involved. And, you know, to see the growth, from the beginning it was how could I help?”
Jack Irushalmi, the co-chair of the Board of Trustees, said, “50% of our 14-and 15-year-old freshmen were reading on kindergarten through fourth-grade levels. Everyone representing the educational status quo told us ‘there was no way’ we could effectively make any positive changes since the school year had already started, and all literacy teachers in the school system were employed.
“We said hogwash, hired seven full-time, qualified teachers, decided to open after school hours and on weekends, worked with the kids in very, very small groups, began to make progress, and then, boom, we met Julius Randle.”
“I just know the value of education on kids,” Randle said. “What they were doing at that school was unbelievable. These kids, they wouldn’t really be afforded these opportunities for them to go to a school like this, given the opportunity that they’re given, and to see the benefit and the impact that it’s having. It’s not just the opportunities. Kids are putting in the work. You give them opportunity, but they’re still having to put in the work, and they’re doing it. So it’s amazing.”
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
