The last time Chasson Randle ’15 stepped on the court at Madison Square Garden, he walked off a two-time NIT champion. Now, after signing a deal with the New York Knicks’ Summer League team, Randle hopes to have a chance to play on that floor again, this time clad in a white Knicks home uniform.
After a stint in the Czech Republic with ČEZ Basketball Nymburk, the former Stanford point guard will join New York’s summer squad in Orlando in a bid to make the cut for the team’s NBA roster. The 2016 Orlando Pro Summer League will run from Saturday, July 2 through Friday, July 8.
Randle set many high-water marks during his time on The Farm, forcing bookkeepers to pencil his name in at the top of Stanford’s all-time scoring, minutes, and three-point shooting charts. In his senior season, the four-year starter broke onto the national stage, leading the team in scoring and earning numerous accolades, including Associated Press All-American Honorable Mention.
Like many Stanford athletes, Randle also broke ground in his studies. He was named to the Capital One Academic All America First Team and Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2015.
This won’t be Randle’s first shot at cracking an NBA roster. Last summer, the undrafted free agent signed on with the Golden State Warriors’ Summer League team, but his efforts just weren’t enough to make the squad.
“As a rookie last year, it was all new to me and everything was happening so fast,” Randle told QCOnline. “I had to learn how to approach the game. I’ll go in there a little more prepared. This is a somewhat different feeling and I know the best I can do is go to Orlando and play to the best of my abilities. If I do that, I can sleep well at night.”
Randle gained some valuable experience this season on a championship winning team in the Czech Republic. During the team’s title run, Randle was second on the team in scoring at 12.0 points per game. The 23-year-old will lean on this experience and his ability to put the ball in the net in his pursuit of an NBA roster spot.
Randle did not play in either of the Knicks’ games this weekend. New York returns to the court on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Contact Ben Leonard at bentleonard18 ‘at’ gmail.com.