NICKNAME/S: 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. When Adelaide 36ers guard Kenyon McNeail left mid-season due to a shoulder injury, the 36ers signed Randle as his replacement.

Randle had spent five seasons in Europe after being considered “too small” for the NBA, and by his own admission, had started to fall out of love with the game. In his first days under coach Joey Wright, Randle wasn’t delivering as expected, leading Wright to give him an ultimatum: “If you don’t play your game, then you’re gonna f***in’ sit on the bench!” That blunt approach reignited Randle’s passion for the game, with the Chicago native finally feeling at home and proud to play basketball again.

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, leading the league in scoring, the first Adelaide player to achieve this feat.

Despite Randle’s individual brilliance, Adelaide finished the season in fifth place with a 14-14 record, narrowly missing the playoffs. However, Randle’s efforts didn’t go unnoticed as he was named to the All-NBL First Team and earned the inaugural NBL Australia Post Fan’s MVP. Teammate Daniel Johnson was also named to the All-NBL Second Team, further highlighting the 36ers’ talent.

2016/17
During the 2016 NBL off-season, the Adelaide 36ers made key moves to retain their star player, Jerome Randle, while adding promising young talents such as Anthony Drmic, Majok Deng, and import forward/centre Eric Jacobsen. A major addition was 18-year-old NBA Draft prospect Terrance Ferguson, who chose to play professionally in the NBL over college basketball, a decision that later influenced the creation of the NBL’s Next Stars Program.

Most experts predicted the youthful and relatively inexperienced 36ers to finish at the bottom of the ladder, but by mid-season, they emerged as the team to beat. Early on, injuries to captain Mitch Creek (ankle) and Daniel Johnson (hamstring) led to a slow start (3-6), highlighted by a tough loss to Brisbane (87-105) in Round 7, which dropped them to last place. However, with a healthy roster, Adelaide bounced back by defeating Brisbane (101-83) in the next game, igniting an eight-game winning streak. By Round 11, they had vaulted from last place to first, and by Round 16, they had won 14 of their last 15 games, securing the top spot with three rounds remaining. Even though they dropped their final four regular-season games, they still finished as minor premiers with a 17-11 record, two games ahead of the rest of the league.

With Creek and Johnson back in the lineup, and Randle continuing his MVP form, Adelaide was unstoppable. Randle averaged 21.3 points, 3 rebounds, and 5.4 assists, leading the team in scoring and earning the NBL’s Most Valuable Player award, becoming the second 36ers player to do so after Mark Davis in 1987. Daniel Johnson contributed 15.1 points and 7.1 rebounds, leading the team on the boards. Nathan Sobey had a breakout season, winning the NBL’s Most Improved Player award after boosting his production from 4 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist per game to 15.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 4.1 assists, becoming Adelaide’s third offensive option.

In the semifinals, Adelaide faced fourth-placed Illawarra and dominated game one with a 93-78 victory, thanks to Randle’s 26 points and 4 assists. However, Illawarra pulled off a stunning upset by winning the next two games (100-94 and 106-98), eliminating the 36ers and ending their season prematurely.

SYDNEY KINGS
2017/18
Jerome Randle began the 2017/18 season in Europe, signing with Turkish team Bahçeşehir after negotiations with Adelaide 36ers stalled. Randle had reportedly asked for $300k per season, a figure well beyond the budgets of NBL teams. Despite starting the season abroad, Randle returned to Australia after a month, citing delayed payments from Bahçeşehir. He initially sought a return to the 36ers, but with their roster finalized, Randle instead signed with the Sydney Kings as a replacement for import guard Travis Leslie.

Sydney, sitting at 2-6 and bottom of the ladder, hoped Randle could revive their season. They also added former NBA big man Jeremy Tyler, who came with high expectations but struggled with behavioral issues and was released after two months. With playoff hopes dashed, the Kings relied on young talents Isaac Humphries and Dane Pineau to fill the frontcourt, finishing the season in seventh place with an 11-17 record.

Randle’s personal performance stood out despite the team’s struggles. He became the first player since Andrew Gaze in 1989 to lead the league in both points (19.8 per game) and assists (5.3 per game). His stellar play earned him an All-NBL Second Team selection, and he remained one of the Kings’ most dangerous offensive threats, though the team missed the playoffs.

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 found himself without a contract extension from the Sydney Kings heading into the 2019/20 season, as the Kings opted to sign Casper Ware, the player responsible for eliminating them in the previous playoffs, to a record deal. This prompted Randle to reunite with the Adelaide 36ers, signing a two-year contract on October 2, 2019.

Randle’s form improved compared to the previous season, as he averaged 19.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 4.5 assists. However, his play didn’t quite match the level of his first two standout seasons with Adelaide. Despite his solid individual performance, the 36ers struggled, finishing with a 12-16 record and in seventh place, missing the playoffs.

At the end of the season, Adelaide chose to opt out of the second year of Randle’s contract. Following his NBL exit, Randle moved to Lithuania, where he joined Žalgiris Kaunas and played a pivotal role in leading the team to the LKL championship, earning Finals MVP honors for his outstanding contributions 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.

Dan Boyce (814 Posts)

Dan Boyce is a die-hard Sydney Kings fan who grew up in Melbourne during the roaring 90's of Australian Basketball and spent far too much time collecting Futera NBL Basketball cards.