NICKNAME/S: Handle, Handle Randle

BIO: Jerome Randle was born in Chicago, Illinois (USA) and attended Hales Franciscan High School in Chicago, Illinois. In 2005, he won a pair of championships after guiding his high school team to a 27–4 record, and the Illinois state title and helping his Chicago Ferrari team to the 17-and-under AAU national crown, earning tournament MVP honours after scoring 44 points in one tournament game. He averaged 12.3 points and 5.2 assists per game as a junior before increasing those averages to 25 points, 1.5 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals as senior in earning state Class A Player of the Year honours from the Chicago Sun-Times.

FAMILY: Randle’s younger brother, Jamie Adams, is also a professional basketball player.

NBL EXPERIENCE

Jerome Randle made his NBL debut with the Adelaide 36ers at 28 years of age. He scored 24 points in his first game.

Jerome Randle caught the attention of several NBL teams during an Australian tour with the Harlem Globetrotters, and when Adelaide 36ers guard Kenyon McNeail left mid-season due to a shoulder injury, the 36ers signed Randle as his replacement.

Randle, who, after being viewed as ‘too small’ to make the NBA, had spent the past five seasons in Europe and, in his own words began to ‘fall out of love’ with basketball. Randle told media that during his first under Wright, who was never known for holding back, didn’t like what he was seeing from his new star, so he called him out by saying, ‘If you don’t play your game, then you’re gonna f***in’ sit on the bench!’. That unexpected outburst struck a chord with Randle, with the Chicago-born kid thinking, ‘Damn, I’m at home now’. It was a sentiment Randle hadn’t had since leaving Chicago, and it made him proud to play basketball for the first time, in a long time.

Randle quickly became the 36ers’ leading scorer, posting 30 points or more in four games, including a standout 40-point performance against the Perth Wildcats on November 5. He finished the season averaging 23.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 5.2 assists, taking over as the Sixers’ leading scorer and finishing as the league’s leading scorer, becoming the first Adelaide player to achieve this feat.

Randle finished the year as the league’s leading scorer, becoming the first Adelaide player to do so. He also and earned the inaugural NBL Australia Post Fan’s MVP. Despite Randle’s great individual season, the 36ers failed to make the playoffs, finishing in fifth place (14-14).

Additionally, Randle was named to the All-NBL First Team, and teammate Daniel Johnson to the All-NBL second team at seasons end, further highlighting the 36ers’ talent.

2016/17
During the 2016 NBL off-season, the Adelaide 36ers retained Jerome Randle while adding Anthony Drmic, Majok Deng, Eric Jacobsen, and 18-year-old NBA Draft prospect Terrance Ferguson, whose decision to play professionally in the NBL instead of college basketball helped shape the league’s future Next Stars Program.

Most experts predicted the youthful and relatively inexperienced 36ers to finish last, but early injuries to Mitch Creek (ankle) and Daniel Johnson (hamstring) contributed to a 3–6 start, including an 87–105 loss to Brisbane in Round 7 that dropped them to last place before a 101–83 win over Brisbane sparked an eight-game winning streak.

By Round 11, Adelaide had climbed from last to first, and by Round 16 they had won 14 of their previous 15 games to secure top spot with three rounds remaining, ultimately finishing as minor premiers with a 17–11 record despite losing their final four games, still ending two games clear of the competition.

With Creek and Johnson back, Adelaide surged behind Randle’s MVP form, as he averaged 21.3 points, 3 rebounds, and 5.4 assists to lead the team in scoring and win the NBL Most Valuable Player award, becoming just the second 36ers player after Mark Davis in 1987 to claim the honour, while Daniel Johnson averaged 15.1 points and 7.1 rebounds to lead the team on the boards and Nathan Sobey earned Most Improved Player after lifting his averages to 15.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 4.1 assists.

In the semifinals, Adelaide defeated Illawarra 93–78 in Game 1 behind Randle’s 26 points and 4 assists, but Illawarra responded with wins of 100–94 and 106–98 in Games 2 and 3 to eliminate the 36ers and end their season.

SYDNEY KINGS
2017/18
Jerome Randle began the 2017/18 season in Europe, signing with Turkish team Bahçeşehir after negotiations with Adelaide 36ers stalled, with his reported $300k salary request exceeding NBL budgets, before returning to Australia after a month due to delayed payments and ultimately signing with the Sydney Kings as a replacement for Travis Leslie after Adelaide’s roster had been finalised.

With Sydney sitting at 2–6 and bottom of the ladder, the Kings signed former MVP Randle to lead the point guard role, while also adding Jeremy Tyler and releasing Perry Ellis in a push for the playoffs, though Tyler was released within two months and the team shifted reliance to young frontcourt players Isaac Humphries and Dane Pineau.

The Kings lost 16 of their first 21 games amid a calf injury to Kevin Lisch, but his return alongside Randle helped spark a late run of six wins in the final seven games, although Sydney still finished seventh with an 11–17 record.

Randle delivered a standout individual season, becoming the first player since Andrew Gaze in 1989 to lead the league in both scoring (19.8 points per game) and assists (5.3 per game), earning All-NBL Second Team honours while remaining Sydney’s primary offensive threat.

Isaac Humphries contributed 6.9 points and 3.7 rebounds per game and was named NBL Rookie of the Year, while Randle’s performances were not enough to lift the Kings into the playoffs despite their late-season surge.

Randle returned to Sydney for the 2018/19 NBL season, where a glute injury limited his production to 17.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game, though he still earned All-NBL Second Team honours as the Kings finished third before being eliminated in the semi-finals by Melbourne United.

2018/19
Sydney entered the 2018/19 season with high expectations, bolstered by the return of NBA champion Andrew Bogut and the re-signing of Randle. The Kings also brought in key players like Daniel Kickert, David Wear, and highly-touted Next Stars prospect Brian Bowen. The team’s ambitions were high, and they participated in the NBLxNBA series, where they faced the Los Angeles Clippers in a preseason game in Hawaii. Randle led all scorers with 25 points, though Sydney fell short (110-91).

Randle had another strong season, despite battling a lingering glute injury that affected his explosiveness. He averaged 17.9 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists, continuing to be Sydney’s go-to option in crucial moments. His standout games included 25 points, 5 assists, and 3 rebounds in a win over Illawarra, 27 points and 6 assists in a win over Brisbane, and 26 points and 7 assists in a close loss to Adelaide.

Randle’s efforts earned him another All-NBL Second Team selection, while Andrew Bogut was named MVP and Defensive Player of the Year. The Kings finished third in the regular season (18-10) but were eliminated in the semifinals by Melbourne United. Randle struggled in Game 2, scoring just 2 points, and Sydney was swept in the series. Despite the team’s early exit, Randle’s playmaking and scoring were critical in Sydney’s playoff run, reaffirming his status as one of the league’s top guards.

2019/20
Jerome Randle was not offered a new contract by the Sydney Kings, who instead signed Casper Ware to a record deal after eliminating them in the prior playoffs, leading Randle to reunite with the Adelaide 36ers on a two-year contract signed on October 2, 2019.

Randle improved on his previous season, averaging 19.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 4.5 assists, though his output did not reach the level of his earlier Adelaide seasons, as the 36ers finished 12–16 in seventh place and missed the playoffs.

At the conclusion of the season, Adelaide opted out of the second year of Randle’s contract, ending his return stint with the club.

Following the NBL season, Randle moved to Lithuania and joined Žalgiris Kaunas, where he helped the team win the LKL championship and was named Finals MVP for his performance in the championship series.

Jerome Randle played five seasons in the NBL. He averaged 20.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in 126 NBL games.