Kobe Bryant inspired the Knicks' breakout star to work out upon landing in a new city, and now the whole team does

• Kobe Bryant told Julius Randle to work out after arriving in a new city, regardless of the time.
• Randle has adopted the practice, and it has spread through the entire Knicks team.
• Bryant was notorious for working out at all hours of the day and impressing other NBA players.

The late Kobe Bryant was renowned for his maniacal approach to training, and it has apparently rubbed off on the New York Knicks.

According to Rebecca Haarlow of MSG, Bryant encouraged Knicks All-Star forward Julius Randle to work out after flights to a new city, regardless of the time.

"No matter how late or how inconvenient that may be, it's the game, and it's the work that comes first," Bryant told Randle, according to Haarlow.

Randle, who was on the Los Angeles Lakers for Bryant's last two seasons, adopted the practice. According to Haarlow. not long after Bryant's death in January of 2020, Randle and the Knicks landed in Detroit late at night, and Randle found a high school gym that would stay open so he could work out.

According to Haarlow, when Randle got to the gym, the school's athletic director told him that the last NBA player to use the gym that late was Bryant.

"Randle said the moment gave him chills, that it was really emotional," Haarlow said.

The rest of the Knicks have since followed suit.

"Now, when [Randle] is finding those gyms late at night, he's not going alone," Haarlow said. "He's going with his Knicks teammates. They're all doing that work, and it's all because Kobe taught him that's what it takes."

Throughout Bryant's career, he wowed players with his dedication to working out at all hours. Before the 2008 Olympics, Bryant impressed his peers by getting in an early-morning workout before the team practice.

Former NBA big man Chris Bosh said he went down for breakfast in the morning, and Bryant already had ice on his knees because he had finished a workout earlier that morning.

Meanwhile, that dedication to working hard is paying off for Randle and the Knicks. Randle earned his first All-Star berth this season and is having a career year, averaging 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists per game while shooting 39% from three. He credited his turnaround to an offseason of hard workouts.

The Knicks are 28-27, 8th in the West, and in the thick of the playoff race with just a few weeks remaining in the season.