Julius Randle has had one of the more unique careers of any current NBA star. The 31-year-old started in the league in 2014 as a Los Angeles Laker, playing alongside Kobe Bryant. But in his very first game, Randle broke his leg, wiping out his rookie season. After four years with the Lake Show, Randle had a gap year of sorts in New Orleans, before signing with the Knicks in 2019. His first season in the Big Apple was interrupted by the pandemic, and then, in 2020-21, his seventh year as a pro, Randle finally made his first All-Star team.

Now a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves, the late bloomer points to many of the practices he learned in LA as the reason why his career trended upward rather than fading out. At 6’9” and 250 pounds, the power forward has a burly frame and a bruising game, which takes a toll over the course of the season. But, through a new partnership with Dymatize, he’s staving off any maladies he can, mostly with the company’s protein powder that tastes like his favorite childhood cereal. With marijuana no longer part of his life—Randle might be the first person to get more into Cocoa Pebbles after ditching weed—he also entered his third decade of life with a clearer mind.

The Timberwolves hope to be one of the last teams standing in this year’s NBA playoffs, but to get there, they’ll need Randle to be at his healthiest come April and May. Now a dozen years into his NBA odyssey, he knows what it’ll take to make that happen: tendon loading, trusting his personal chef, and remaining obsessed with basketball.

GQ: This is your 12th year in the NBA. What do you think are some of the things that have allowed you to play for so long, both mentally and physically?

Julius Randle: It’s my habits that I started really early. It’s just work ethic. Every single year, I come out of the season, and I’m like, “Alright, how can I improve? How can I get better?” So, just not being complacent, no matter the failures or success or whatever you want to look at. It’s just like, “How can I get better? How can I improve?” Just having that growth mindset of always trying to learn and get better and being curious.

Doing that has allowed me obviously to play a long time, but it’s allowed it to go fast as well, because I’m always trying to learn and have fun trying to perfect my craft. There’s really no reason to be complacent or bored with anything.

Is this normally during the summer when you’ll sit down and identify what you need to do to get better?

It’s both. It’s summer, but it can be learning things in-season. Obviously, the summer is the biggest time for improvement where you can really work on your game and work on your body. That’s the most time you’ll have in your career: during the summer and offseason.

I imagine there are a lot of challenges trying to be an active member of your kids’ life while also playing an 82-game season. For you, what are the keys to finding that balance between being locked into the season, but also making sure you’re there for your kids?

It’s just about being present. Being present with the kids when I’m with them, whether it’s taking my son to work or school, or watching football, or having dinner—whatever it is. Obviously, I’m obsessed with my craft as well. Family, my kids, my wife, they make the most sacrifice, because they allow me to chase my dreams and be great at what I want to be great at. But there’s also those times where I’m like, “I need to make this time for them to go on vacation,” or whatever it is, you know?

My oldest son, I’ll take him to the gym with me a lot too. He feels like he’s one of the players, for sure. He can work out while I’m working out. There are little ways. They all go to a lot of the games. They’re as much of a part of my journey as anybody, for sure. I mean, we’ve got a sports family. My wife’s mom played basketball, my mom played basketball. We love football around here, so we really, truly, genuinely love sports. And he’s been going to games since he was two weeks old, so he’s been around it for so long. We had him at a young age, and didn’t realize maybe we shouldn’t take a baby to an NBA game at two weeks old.

When your oldest son was born, did you talk to anyone in the league about how to be a parent while also managing an NBA schedule?

No, not really. It was more just trial and error, learn-on-the-go type thing. I just knew that I was so excited to be a dad. I wasn’t going to let anything get in the way of my relationship with him.