Los Angeles Lakers rookie Julius Randle addressed the media Tuesday for the first time since sustaining a season-ending broken leg in his NBA debut.
Randle's career got off to an ominous start on Oct. 28 against the Houston Rockets on Opening Night as he suffered a leg injury that is expected to sideline him for the rest of the year.
Randle said he hasn't felt bad for himself after sustaining the injury while adding he left the house for the first time since the ailment to meet with the media.
"I haven't pouted," Randle said, according to ESPN Los Angeles. "I haven't pointed the finger and said, 'Why me?' Honestly, there's just motivation. I can't wait to get back right so I can go out and be successful for my team."
Randle, 19, was selected by the Lakers with the No. 7 overall pick out of Kentucky in June.
Randle said that the play on which he got hurt during Los Angeles' 108-90 loss to Houston in the season-opener occurred on what he descried as a regular play and he didn't feel the injury initially.
"I didn't even think it was my leg, because I didn't feel it," Randle said. "So I heard the 'pop' sound, but I didn't feel it. But I didn't even try to get up. My leg was just too weak. There wasn't any pain or anything. I was in discomfort, but there really wasn't any pain until I got on the X-ray table. It was more shock. Just upset. Because I knew as soon as I did it, I knew what it was."
Randle said teammate Kobe Bryant, who played just six games in 2013-14 due to a fractured knee and torn Achilles, reached out to him after the injury.
"The night that I broke it, he had texted me," Randle said of Bryant, "and we were talking, and he was one of the main people that helped me really get out of my pity party, saying, 'It has happened to players before, you're not the first and you're going to have a great comeback. But your rehabilitation and your mindset starts now.'"
Randle, who said he will take his recovery process day-by-day, noted he was upset about his season ending before it ever really started, but that he will move on.
"I've cried a couple times about it," Randle said. "I cried for 10 minutes, and I'm good. I don't know if I can say that it hasn't set in yet or what, but mentally, I'm telling you, mentally I'm good."
The Lakers, meanwhile, have limped to an 0-5 start after finishing a franchise-worst 27-55 last season and host the Charlotte Hornets (1-3) in their next game on Sunday.
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