Change Your Brain Every Day - Julius Randle: The Mental Game That Helped Him Go from NBA Doubts to Winning Mindset

Episode Date: September 2, 2025

What does it take to go from broken bones and broken confidence… to becoming one of the NBA’s fiercest playoff performers? In this revealing conversation, 3-time All-Star Julius Randle opens up to Dr. Daniel Amen about his mental health struggles and self-doubt to unlock a championship mindset. You’ll hear the surprising brain scan discoveries that changed his game, why he ditched marijuana, and how embracing his “Mamba Disciple” alter ego—honoring his mentor Kobe Bryant—helped him dominate under pressure. Whether you’re chasing peak performance, trying to capture that flow state at work on on the court, or simply trying to find more zen in your life, this story will inspire you to rewrite the limits of your life.

I am so honored to introduce my friend and someone I've had the honor of working with for the past year. Power forward Julius Randall. Julius Randall is a three-time NBA All-Star, two-time all-NBA team selection, and the 2021 NBA Most Improved Player of the Year. He's arguably one of the best players in the league, and yet, despite all his accomplishments, there were struggles. My wife would be like, no, you're just not present. Like, we're having a conversation, you're not really present. You're with the kids, you're not really present. Today we're going to share some of the tools that helped him turn his obstacles into fuel.

So this is killing the ants. The one-page miracle. You remember the rule of 12? We had a pre-game dopamine ritual. We did something called The Gap in the Game. And the magic happened when we created your alter ego. Yes. We developed the Mamba disciple.

Yes. This is the one from before and this is today. every day you are making your brain better or you are making it worse stay with us to learn how you can change your brain for the better every day today i am so honored to introduce my friend and someone i've had the honor of working with for the past year three-time NBA all-star and current Minnesota Timberwolves superstar, power forward Julius Randall. Julius's NBA journey started with heartbreak. He broke his leg in the very first, in his very first professional game with the Lakers.

What many didn't know is that he already played at Kentucky with a broken foot. The injury gave his whole body a chance to heal and lit a fire that fueled his career ever since. From his early years with his mentor and idol Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles to a breakout with the New York Knicks where he led them to their first playoff appearance in eight years, Julius has redefined himself again and again. We met just before his shocking trade to Minnesota last year. And after a slow start and a midseason injury, he stormed. into the playoffs, delivering a career best postseason joining Kevin Garnett as the only Timberwolf to have a playoff triple double and proving he's a big game player. We're going to talk about that.

Off the court, he's a devoted husband and father and over the past year. We've worked side by side on brain health, mental resilience, leadership. And today we're going to be going to share some of the tools that helped him turn his obstacles into fuel. So welcome. Thank you, Doc. Thank you. I'm excited. I am so excited. And like I usually sleep like a baby and I was just so excited last night. So let's talk about how we met. So Kendra actually found me on social media. And you guys were sort of going through a hard time. Yeah.

Yeah. She, I mean, personally in our relationship, you know, marriages have ups and downs. But, you know, she also saw me really struggling, you know, from the mental side with depression and, you know, just all different type of obstacles and stuff. And like a good wife and a great wife that she is, regardless of, you know, whether we're struggling or not, she wants to help me be the best version of myself. And, you know, she's always putting me first and, you know, trying to help me out. And she, I guess, reached out to you.

And I had no clue. And she's like, you know, kind of subtly hinted to me. Like, hey, you should try this out. like, this guy's amazing. Like, we'd be in bed talking. She's like, this guy's amazing. This, that, and the next. And I'm like, okay, okay.

And I'm not really, like, paying much attention. But she finally worked me up to do it, and I got a scan. And now here we are. Wow. And we've talked to each other, like, virtually every week for the last year. And then shortly after we mad, the trade happened. Yes. There was a lot of chaos about it.

Yeah. Yeah. But it turned out to be a good thing for you. It was amazing. It was amazing. Very unexpected. You know, the trade happens and, you know, you really, I mean, I've switched teams in my career, but I've never been traded, you know, so like, I remember her being very excited

for me. And for me, like, initially when it happened, I was, like, really down. And I think I was ready for a first start or a new start, but it's also like you've been somewhere for a long time, five years exact. And you put everything you have into something and you kind of, I'm the type of person that wants to see everything through. And it's like, all right, man, I got that taken away from it. And you just kind of like felt bad. But at the same time, I was ready for a new start. I just didn't know how to adjust. But she was really happy. She was like, this is going to be the best thing for you. This is going to be amazing.

Not just for you, but for our family. You know, I have some little bit of, you know, comfort knowing that I was going to play for Finch, and I played for him before. So, you know, there was a lot to be excited and looking forward to. And for me, it was like, all right, I just want to get out of New York. Like, I just want to get to Minnesota. I don't care if we have a house. Let's just go to the hotel and find somewhere to live. And, you know, so I think once I got out of the city and, you know,

I was able to finally get to Minnesota, you know, my eyes opened up to, like, a new beginning. And, yeah, it was the best thing that could have happened to me in my career, you know, at that point, and I'm so excited. You know, it was a lot of change during that time. But once we got adjusted, it worked out really well. Yeah. So one of the first things I do when I see people is I scan their brain. Yeah.

And let's put the scans up on the monitor. And we'll just go through what we saw. And then the plan. And then we scanned you again today. And this is like my Academy Award moment, you know, where you open the envelope. And it's like the answer is you won or you didn't win. So this is what we're going for. Speck tells us three things.

Good activity. Too little or too much. And this shows us the outside surface should be full. even and symmetrical, this shows us the most active parts, which should be here in the back. And if we look at your original scans, they're bumpy. And one of our first discussions was about marijuana. And I'm like, why is it legal in the NBA? It's like you're fast, your reaction time is unbelievable.

And marijuana slows that down, but because of, I guess, the Players Association negotiated, it's like, come on, it's legal, not everywhere, right? But it's like, we're not testing for it anymore. And you picked it up as a way to manage your anxiety. And because especially in New York, there's a lot of pressure. Right. And there's a lot of negativity. And there's, I mean, it's a lot. Yeah, absolutely.

Right. Absolutely. Yeah. And it was hurt here. This is an area we're going to pay attention to. It's your left temporal lobe. And it's an area that often goes with temper problems, with irritability. And I remember it was game 73.

You had gotten a fair amount of technicals in your career. And one of the things we worked on is win or learn. Yeah. Right. Argue with reality. Welcome to hell. He's not changing the call. Right.

And I'm having dinner and the game's on. Yeah. You hadn't gotten a technical until game 73. All of a sudden you get when I start screaming. that was my goal the whole year I was like can I go the whole year without getting any technicals and I was I was that close I was that I think that was the only one that was the only one I got all year this is that amazing but when there's problems here like draymond green I'm like I have to scan that boy because gets a lot of them and here is your brain supervisor it watches you

It helps you with impulse control, and it had been hurt at some point. It was low in activity. And then when you try to concentrate, your temporal lobes actually got worse, and then this side dropped. And now I'm thinking irritability, not out of choice, but it's because your brain's not healthy as it could be, ADD, the impulsivity, and the marijuana toxicity. And so the scans teach me so much. You can actually see the bumpiness, the, you know, people go, oh, marijuana, it's innocuous. And it's like, I published a study on a thousand marijuana users. Every area of their brain was lower in blood flow and activity.

And then your emotional brain here is very busy. And that could go with the sadness, with the stress, with the. The ants that we talked about, the automatic negative thoughts. And when you see it in this diamond pattern, it goes with also past emotional trauma. And one of the things we'll talk about is the EMDR work we did. You had an ACE score. ACE stands for adverse childhood experiences. On a scale of zero to ten, how many bad things happened to you?

You had a five. That's a lot. For or more increases your risk of things like depression and physical health stuff. And so this, you've heard it said a picture is worth a thousand words. But a map is worth a thousand pictures. Map tells you where you are and gives you direction on how to get to where you want to go. And this became our map. And then I made you a poster.

I do this for some of my special patients, I'm like, here's healthy, here's you today, here's you if you do what I say, and here's you if you don't. And one of the things with the blood testing, we realize, is you have something called the apo-e-4 gene. So everybody's got an apo-e gene. It's either two, three, or four. But what we know, you have one-four, it increases your gene. your risk of dementia, like two and a half times. If you have two fours, it increases your risk tenfold. And so, obviously, you either got it from your mom or your dad, and you should be on

an Alzheimer's prevention program your whole life. Now, you only have one, but that still increases your risk, especially if you get a concussion. my impression after I first talked to you is you're awesome and I often say I don't take broken people and put them back together I take awesome people make them more awesome right so many successes from the time you were young but also had ADHD toxicity on the scans the past trauma the decreased temporal lobe the marijuana use which I wanted to help you get rid of And the genetic stuff. And so our plan do labs, stop the marijuana, happy saffron, which I think really helped us.

We were going to consider a stimulant. And actually midway in the season, I was watching a game. I'm like, he's not focused. And we agreed. And that was very helpful for us. EMDR for the past trauma, you became a master ant killer. we'll talk about some of the ants taught you havening like if you're upset it's like okay go into it give your mind a name you gave a teddy after your dog right i was actually on

fox on sunday um the new york post picked up a video of me and give your mind a name and so i was on tv talking about it it's like it just helps you gain distance from the noise in your head win or learn became huge for us, and then the alter ego effect. We'll talk about that. And so today we did another scam. Right. And this is the one from before, and this is today. And it is so much better.

Like I showed it to Tana, and she goes, that looks like the normal one. And I'm like, this is better, this is better. We need to make this better still. So we still have work to do. Absolutely. But in a year, you have transformed your brain to one that looks healthy. And I know how hard you work out. Yeah.

Right? I mean, you're very disciplined and you love your brain. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. So I'm so excited. Your emotion brain, this is where it was before. It's calmer. And we still have some work to do.

and this is where it is today, this is where it can be next year. If we just keep doing the right thing, and my goal is for you to love your brain because then you love your life, if that makes sense. So talk about what you've noticed. I think one of the bigger things I've noticed is my emotional stability. not allowing myself to hang on to things too much for long periods of time. Or, you know, if I'm in a, you know, stressful environment or things that are testing like my

patients or irritability, I'm able to kind of like recenter myself, calm down, take a deep breath and just kind of evaluate things rather than react off of emotion or how I'm feeling. And I still have, you know, like you said, work to do with that, but I feel like my ability to regulate my thoughts and kind of like sort them out and take a moment and, you know, just kind of like re-center myself and not let things get me, like, things that would irritate me often. I don't feel that not nearly as much as I used to or things that would allow me to be angry or upset or you know have, you know, temperament or whatever it is where I would just react and, you know, black out like those things don't happen, you know, nearly as much. So I think I'm a lot more zen than I used to be. And I'm able to like problem solve a lot better because of that. Yeah. I noticed after you came back from your injury, which was I think at the end of February,

that you were just happier on the bench. Yeah. Like if you weren't playing, you were actively cheering. Yeah. And that was, that was huge. Yeah, I was huge because like even the year before, like, I got hurt. And I was like, all right, well, there's no use for me, like, in a way. And you kind of go into that, like, sadness and that hiding and you don't want to be around anybody.

And, like, my wife saying that, and she doesn't really know how to help me other than just be there for me. But, like, I just kind of didn't want to be around anybody. You know, I'm like, all right, I can't play basketball. And, you know, I was just, like, sad and overwhelmed. And I'm like, all right, I don't want to do anything. I just kind of like want to hide and sit in this dark room. And, you know, this year it was different. I'm like, you know, I can't play, but let me try to be the best teammate I can possibly be.

You know, let me sit on the bench. Let me, you know, cheer as if I'm in the game. And, you know, just be a voice of leadership for my teammates. You know, be the biggest cheerleader. and, you know, stand up and cheer and, you know, hype my teammates up and be a part of the team as best as I can. And I felt like it, like, opened my eyes to a lot of different things. I was able to kind of like just take a step back and really evaluate everything that was going on with our team, what the team, what was going on, what they might need for me when I get back. And, you know, I just felt like I, even though I wasn't playing, I was still a part of the team.

So when I did come back, it didn't feel like, all right, I'm having to reintegrate into what we're doing or I'm having to, all right, we're adding this piece. It was like, I felt like I was already around and a part of everything going on that I never really felt away or this distance between the team and I. And I think that's kind of like will help kickstart such a successful, you know, second part of the season, not just for myself, but for our team. You guys had one of the best records in the NBA. Yeah, yeah. We had, you know, I think either best or second best record and, you know, allowed us to build momentum into the playoffs. So it was great, yeah. And you just consistently had great games.

Yeah. And in the playoffs, we'll talk about this in a bit. Yeah. that had been sort of a monkey on your back, even though it was not a fair monkey because you were hurt, or, you know, it was your first playoffs, and then you were hurt and then go, well, Randall doesn't play well in the playoffs. Right, right. You had an answer to that this year.

Absolutely, yeah, absolutely. So let's talk about killing the ants. Some of the original ones were, I don't perform well under pressure, I'm not worthy. I actually put these up on the screen. I just want to go through a couple of them because it's always good like when you go to practice now, you shoot the same shot.

Like over and over and over, you go, oh, I have to make 30 of them. You got to do the same thing with your mind. You have to train your mind over and over and over, right? You don't shoot a thousand free throws and go, never have to shoot one again. I'll just show up in the fourth quarter and make them. Your free throw shooting this year was awesome.

Yeah. It was so good. So this is killing the ants. And this was the big first one we worked on. I can't perform under pressure. Yeah. Right? Because they kept telling you that over and over and over again.

And so it's just the question that, you know, I learned from my friend, Byron, Katie. Well, is that true? You can't perform under pressure. Well, it's not true. You have so many examples where you can't. Is it absolutely true? No, but how does that thought make you feel? Anxious, worried, on edge, always doubting yourself. How does the thought make you act? Over-trained, over-think, more likely to smoke. Can't trust yourself. What's the outcome? More likely not to perform depression. suffering. Well, how would you feel if you didn't have the thought? Fine. How would you act? Confident. And what's the outcome? Trust. And my favorite part is just what's the opposite of this thought? Because I can perform under pressure. And then you gave me lots of examples where you perform under pressure with a broken foot. Yeah. Absolutely. But this I think was very helpful for you. It was, yeah, it was, it was really helpful because it just, uh, for one, allowed me to be honest with myself, um, you know, allowed me to be like, all right, this is

exactly how I'm feeling. This is, um, whether it's true or not, this is how I'm feeling and this is how it's making me react. And like you said, with the overthinking, the overtraining, uh, smoking to, you know, try to drown out any type of noise or, uh, you know, anxiousness and all those different type of things. So it was just kind of like maybe just covering it up and not allowing myself to actually feel, you know, what's going on and feel like, okay, like we talked many times this year. I'm like, all right, there might be times when I'm feeling anxious and I'm like, okay, this is great. I'm feeling something, you know, I'm not running from it.

It's like, all right, I'm feeling anxious now. I can choose whatever I want to do with this emotion rather than letting it control me. and feeling like I have to do this and do this to overcome it's like no I can feel this emotion and I can decide what I want to do with it so this was like amazing for me um all throughout the year to be able to again identify what's going on and being able to you know I'm having a healthier brain having clear thoughts um trusting my instincts all those different type of things and now I can sort through these thoughts and emotions and, you know, decide what I want to do with that.

And it's not about positive thinking. Yeah. It's about accurate thinking. Yeah. I just want you to be honest with yourself. And when you're smoking pot to stop them, when it wears off, the ants come back and they're worse. Yeah, absolutely.

And then this one, which I thought was really, interesting was I'm not worthy. And it's like, well, is that true? Yeah. It's like, where did that come from? Right. Right. You're one of the most accomplished people on the planet.

Right. And it's not true. It's absolutely not true. But it makes you doubt yourself, makes you shy, timid, standoffish, which is not your natural state, right? When you're not being infested with the ants, second guess, misopportunities. And it's like, what's the opposite? I am worthy.

I belong. Three-style all-star. I mean, how many people get to say that? Right. Right. They were paying you a lot of money, so they thought you were worth it. Right. Absolutely.

Or I don't like attention. I love that one. I don't like attention. And it's like, that's not true. If we just flip it, I do like attention and perform over and over in front of 20,000 people. You feel amazing when you perform well. I love inspiring others, showing others that it is possible that through hard work you can be better. You love being other people's inspiration, motivation.

But if you don't question it, you believe it. and then you act as if it's true. Yeah, absolutely. Or should I stop smoking marijuana or not? We did that one. That was a big one. And I'm like, yes. But you said yes, yes.

How does that thought make you feel? Well, maybe I'm overthinking it. How does the thought make you act? Paranoid, sneaky. What's the outcome? Bad judgment. How would I feel without the thought, free, strong, confident, the best version of yourself.

So what's the opposite? I should stop. Everything clicks when I stop, more engaged with the kids, more present with my wife, physically stronger, won't have the munches and overeat. And then what I do with all my patients, it's like, so what's the reasons to use? And what are the reasons to stop? And, you know, food tastes better.

Your senses were heightened. It was a habit. It relaxed you. But then you started chasing the feeling. It helps anxiety and it's a hobby. But the reasons to stop is it's damaging your brain. It makes you overthink to be the best version of yourself. Better example.

Kendra will be happier. your mother will be happier and I think even one time you said this stuff steals my soul and so it's like which brain do you want um okay we'll get to that in a second but I always want you I want you to think of aunt killing like free throws you just got to do it yeah like over and over again, especially when you're in the public eye, and Stephen A. Smith is always commenting. Right. And, you know, they do it for clicks and ratings. And he would actually have an interesting brain. And he used to get his camp for sure.

That would be an interesting brain. But there's nowhere in school where they teach us. not to believe every stupid thing we think. No, no, not at all. Especially, like, in today's world where it doesn't even have to be true, but it becomes true, you know, and everybody has an opinion and everybody feels like their opinion is, you know, the law

or what's true. Or a lot of people don't have their own opinion, too. And they just kind of believe, with, you know, the most popular person is saying or whatever, they're not really, you know, trusting their own instincts or doing, you know, what's necessary to, you know, formulate their own opinion, you know, they're, you know, just kind of following

on whatever the crowd is doing. So it's definitely tough in today's world, but I think it's so important to have a clear mind. and being able to be strong mentally and independent mentally without anything influencing you as far as substance or voice or whatever. Like, you know, being able to sort your own thoughts out and, you know, have your own personal opinion about things,

right or wrong. But I think just for me, I can judge whether it's right or wrong better if I have a right, clear thinking, you know, brain in my, which is what I worked on. We worked on a lot this year. Most people think hydration is just about drinking water, but your brain needs the right balance of electrolytes to function at its best. That's why I start my morning with smart electrolytes from Brain MD. It hydrates fast, supports brain function, and keeps me energized, all without sugar.

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And once you get your brain healthy, you then have to program it to help you. Another exercise we did, let's see, I want to go to it. I have all sorts of things here for us to talk about. Put this up. Early on, we didn't exercise, I thought, that was really helpful for you. And it's called the one-page miracle. And it's tell your brain what you want. And tell it in a way that's balanced, right, as opposed to, I want to be an NBA old star.

it's like okay well that could be one yeah but what do you want your relationships your work your money your physical emotional spiritual health and when you look at it it's not just about you yeah it's about your family um so you want to have a great relationship with your wife And you met my wife And I have the same thing Kind, caring, loving, supportive passion Always have that It's my goal, always. Don't always feel it

Rude thoughts show up And it's like, don't say it And it's not that I shouldn't say it It doesn't fit my goals To say it Right, but you first have to define it And then you go, okay, does my behavior fit?

And you're very conscientious when it comes to your family, but also with basketball. And so, oh, why show up consistently, reliably, predictably. And so we talked a lot about being a dad and being firm and kind at the same time. The rule, if you have a tantrum to get your way, the answer is no. It's always going to be no. Right. Go for it. Yeah.

And then be strong enough not to reinforce the negative behavior. Yeah. And work, put basketball all together, two-year plan to dominate, play at the highest level, enjoy it, be present, consistent, lead a team to a championship, stay healthy, get better at all things, I need in five years. It's clear. And we also talked about you win or you learn. when or you learn and you don't have to be the best you have to be your best like when you have to be the best it separates you from other people it's like I have to be better

than you that's what I struggle with a lot earlier in my career just the comparison like you know you want to be the best the best you know grow up and like I play with my idol Kobe and it's like all right I look at him like he's the best right and you have that insane competitive drive and you're like always comparing yourself, oh, this guy, this guy, or this is where this guy's at. And it's like, you know, that's one of the things we really worked on and I've been able to work on, you know, throughout my careers. All right, this is where I'm at.

Be the best version of yourself today. And then tomorrow be the best version of yourself. And continue just to stack those days of just being the best version of myself. And then, you know, I look back and going in the year 12 and I'm like, I'm a million times better than I was in year one. And, you know, you can you can see how. just being focused on your own path and your own race and having those blinders on not you know focusing on things that are out of your control because we talk about that too there's

so much out of our control that you know we can't control but focusing on things you can't control yeah and during the first round of the playoffs you played against arguably the best player of all time and you could argue that right and you did absolutely fine yeah absolutely yeah absolutely yeah You did absolutely fine. Money, it's just be responsible, value-driven, goal-oriented, save as much because less is more mindset. You had that. Physical health, best brain possible. Now that you've seen, you've made your brain better with my help, you're going to want to keep it that way, right?

It's like, no, I didn't want to lose the progress I've made. yeah protect your blessing diet supplements stretching mobility emotional health state kinder to yourself but still tough we'll talk about the mom a disciple and spiritual health your spiritual life's always been very important to you absolutely your mom was serious yes yes absolutely Absolutely, yeah. So you want to be connected to God and purpose, feel chosen, and all things work together for good, for those who love the Lord. And the goal is just look at this on a regular basis and go, does my behavior fit what I want?

And it's not selfish, because there's not much on here that's selfish. It's about a better marriage, better kids, working hard for yourself, but all. also for your team, being responsible, being happy. I don't know, have we ever talked about happiness is a moral obligation? I don't know if we got to that one. So I wrote a book on happiness, and I quote Dennis Prager, who said, happiness is a moral obligation. And it's like, so I grew up Roman Catholic.

There was not one bit of that in my house. Not one. And it's like, why is it a moral obligation? because of how you impact other people. That if you're unhappy, it's a bit like bad breath. And it just sort of puts people away. So striving to be happy. Now that's not hedonism.

Heedanism is the enemy of happiness. But it's how I do things that make me happy that fit. So I think this was important for us. Yeah, it was important. It was a great, I remember when we first did it. You said, put it in your bathroom, put it on your wall, put it in your car or whatever. And it was just a great reminder to where it just kind of became routine where it was like, you know, this is what I want in life. And then everything, you know, it wasn't about a dollar amount or like you said, being an all star or, you know, anything that you can say is. you know, physical or whatever it is. It was just about like, this is, these are the values, you know, that I have in life and this is what I want, you know, out of these different areas in my life. And all of my decisions became based off of that, you know, whether it was a decision with my wife or kids, like, you know, we talked about the, like, smoking. And I think

one of the things with that, it made me distant and not present. I kind of just like, would be in my own world. And I'm like, no, I'm fine. Like, this is like what it is. My wife would be like, no, you're just not present. Like, we're having a conversation. You're not really present. You know, you're not, you're with the kids.

You're not really present. And one of the biggest things I saw was a change in my relationship with my now middle child, Jace. Because before, like, he was obviously, he was a mama's boy. But you know, he, he, I didn't feel as bonded with him. And obviously, I stopped smoking and stuff like that. And I don't remember when it was, but I remember telling my wife, I'm like,

I think Jace likes me more than you now. You know, and it was just that relationship to where, like, he found emotional stability and comfort in me. And, you know, he, you know, want to be around me a lot more and just hang out. And not that he didn't want to be around me before, but it's just like, all right, he wake up and, you know, he's like, our dad, can we do this, dad, can we like, and I just think it was the being present, you know, with him. So, like, all the decisions that maybe weren't so healthy in my life or that I was doing or decisions I was making, I was like, all right, well, you know, the one-page miracle made me think about things different.

Is this healthy? Is this going to, you know, be beneficial for what I want? towards these things. Yeah, maybe this might feel good now, but the long-term effect, it won't be great. So, yeah, it was, it was amazing for me to, you know, live by this year. And it's not selfish. It's just clarity. And I think what does the kids, I mean, what do they want your attention, right? It's the most important thing. for them 20 minutes a day 20 minutes today we talked about special time a lot um another fun thing we did is we had a pregame dopamine routine or ritual and because when you become famous

fame all by itself wears out the pleasure centers in your brain everywhere you go people recognize you they love you they hate you they have an opinion and it's just um If you wear out the pleasure centers, then you get depressed because you don't have enough dopamine. And so dopamine is that neurotransmitter in your brain that just helps you focus and helps you feel good and keeps your motivation. And when you have ADD, you have lower levels of dopamine. And so if you put this back up, we actually, and I'd like to do with the athletes I work with, it's like, we have to make sure your neurotransmitters are helping you and not hurting you. And so I was going to bed early, focusing on love and gratitude for your sport, watching the high right real.

Right? You used to watch people watch themselves and you thought that was... I was thought it was the weirdest thing. Narcissistic. Why are you watching yourself? Yeah. But we want to build those tracks, not of you missing the free throws or the three-pointers, but making them over and over and over again.

And you are a student. You love thinking about the game and how you can be better and studying Kobe and the other great players. So that's excitement for the sport. Getting massage helps. Listening to the right music. Sunlight in the morning primes dopamine. Cold exposure, which you do.

Holding the caffeine in the morning so it's more effective in the evening. bright light therapy, our supplements, pumpkin seeds, and then this attitude again, when or learn. And then I had you try our peak energy. I loved it. Yeah. Peak energy is just great. Yeah, that was great.

And so it's just sort of managing your energy, managing your brain. And then we did something called the gap in the game. You know, are you in the gap with what you don't have? Are you in the gain looking at how far you come? And the question is not I'll be successful when, because that's gap thinking. It's I know I'm being successful when I do these things. And when we look at when I'm connected to my wife, kids, mother, and family, I'm being successful. when I'm spending time with God, meditating, when I show up at practice, or a game is my best

confident self, which is a leader. When your diet's right, when your sleep's right, when you're taking care of your gift, I always love when you say that. Personal, smile, smiling, engaging, because you have the best smile, responsible, giving and selfless, and make time for yourself. It's like, this is when I'm successful. It's not the contract, it's not you got an award, it's every day you're successful when you do the things that you want.

Right? Yeah. And then we worked on little habits, so many habits. I think, I'm not sure I put all of them, but like, well, does it fit? Does my behavior fit, the one-page miracle? It's just good for my brain or bad for it? Now you last said even more. I want a better break.

Today is going to be a great day. Start every day with that. What went well today. Love food that loves you back. When you get anxious, breathe, four seconds in, eight seconds out. Is it true? Looking for happiness throughout the day. The butterfly hug is havening.

I know I'm successful when. And notice what you like about other people more than you don't. So sort of a crash course. And then we did a fun thing where we created an affirmation for you put up. And it's like, so what's the goal? I'm an NBA all-star player who will compete for a championship, which you absolutely did. Why, that's a pay value. You enjoy the recognition and being one of the best in the world.

Plan. And this is very purposeful. I am a flexible problem solver who treats myself and others with kindness and grace. I don't get upset until the 12th thing has gone wrong. Do you remember the rule of 12? Yes. I can't be upset until the 12 thing goes wrong. And you were counting, right, with some of the referees.

He said, dude, that's one. Yes. That's too. I think that's why it took the game 73 to get to the 12th thing. And then I finally got the set. And then you repeat the goal, and that's who you are. And now we'll switch it to 25, 26, right? And there's high expectations for the timber walls because of how close you got last year.

We also talked about negativity and how negativity drops function in your cerebellum. And so anytime you just see the word no, for less than a second, it disrupts brain function. And that's why athletic slumps happen. Because your brain starts telling you you can't do it. So you can't do it. We did EMDR for just about 50 sessions. Yeah. Yeah. And initially, it's to help with the trauma and the triggers from the past. And when you got upset at a player or a coach, or it's like, oh, let's go into it and see where it came from. And a lot of it was from some of the childhood trauma. Yeah.

Right? But once we work through that, we mostly used it for peak performance. Mm-hmm. Right? Absolutely, yeah. You know? Yeah. Yeah. Let's work on your three-point shot.

Yeah. Yeah. We use it for, for, you know, what I, you know, almost like visualization of what I wanted to do that night or, you know, that week or whatever. But, I mean, originally it was, you know, working through those traumas or working through those triggers, you know, something would happen. And I didn't realize I was doing it, but I was associating it with something that may have happened five years ago. or 20 years ago and you know it's bringing up those feelings that have emotions like I used to remember one of the big things we talked about in the beginning was I had a hard time trusting and you know I was like I don't trust this person I don't trust this person like I didn't

trust anybody pretty much you know and it was just like you know always um would see like I would think somebody would have an angle or I'm looking at it as like um you know just not a very trust in person. And then even I didn't even trust myself a lot of times, you know, it got into that overthinking or not trusting myself. And the EMDR was great. You know, it helped me obviously work through those traumas. And then, you know, it allowed me for, you know, first to be able to like really trust myself

again and trust in what I'm doing and, you know, believe in what I'm doing. And then allow me to trust others, which allowed me to be who I actually am, I'm a happy, engaging person, a smiling person, you know, making everybody feel included and not letting, you know, things get me down for too long, you know, stuff like that. And I even remember it came to a point in the season where, you know, we had a session and I'm like, God, you know, this is cool, but like, I was an all-star, at least when I was smoking. Like, you know, and, you know, I'm getting guys 40 when I was smoking. And like, I don't know if I can, like, see this through.

And, um, but I think just with the EMDR, just allowed me to continue to trust myself and just see everything through, you know, I wasn't like, I was like, I knew I was doing this for a bigger purpose. Uh, I was doing this for, you know, the long run. I want to get to the playoffs. I want to dominate the playoffs. Like, we had talked about that all year. And for me, um, it allowed me to be like, oh, okay, it's fine.

like you know you're winning or learning and we know we're learning today you know it might not be a win but we're learning today and you know I just saw everything through and I trusted myself and trusted the plan and you know slowly started to become the best version of myself so I mean it was great it was great EMDR just left like my chiropractor and we were talking I was telling I was going to see you and you know he was asking me what helps him he was telling me what helps him he was like I do EMDR and I'm like oh Oh, me too. Like, I do it too.

So it's been extremely helpful. And then, you know, by the time, you know, we were able to work through those traumas. Like you said, it was like, all right, what am I struggling with? Well, I'm hesitant on my catching shoot three-point shots. Or, you know, I'm turning the ball over too much right now or whatever. And it's like, all right, I'm able to, you know, work on those things, visualize, see it.

And, you know, I would go in a game and just do it. It was like magic almost. Well, and the magic happened when we created your alter ego. Yes. So it's in the middle of the season, and I watch a documentary on CNN about Kobe Bryant. And it's like a three-part documentary. And in the middle of it, he talks about the Black Mamba and how the Black Mamba is created. and mentioned the book, the alter ego effect.

And I'm like, I'm going to get that book. And I read it. I loved it. And I actually had the author on our podcast. But mostly I read it for you. And I'm like, I think that will help you level up. And I think it was incredibly effective for you. In fact, I want to show, we developed the Mamba disciple.

Yes. And so the idea behind the alter ego is if you just show up as Julius, well, you can be temperamental and you can miss the shot. You can get down on yourself. But if you show up like Kobe Bryant would show up, were you trained with him? he's a badass yeah and he's got a mind that doesn't really care what anybody thinks yeah but he doesn't show up as Kobe Bryant he shows up as the black mama yeah right and so as we talked about all the different ideas for your alter ego that one sort of fit yeah it fit it fit really well it fit really well and um it was great I mean to be

honest because it was one of those things where it allowed me to almost like play a character in a way and kind of disassociate myself from who Julius actually is you know because you know me off the court you know a kind caring loving person um very aware person so like I you know very aware of people's feelings and emotions around me and I just care so much that you know I give a lot love and I pay attention to everything and I try to be like perfect in a way even though I know I can't be but I just you know try to overcompensate in that way a little bit and that would carry with me on the court so like it would be if I miss five shots in a row like you know I'm like man I'm missing a day like I need the pass or you know I'm if I miss

these shots I need to make my next one like I didn't have that short term memory I would remember everything. Like, I have a great memory, so I would just remember everything. And I'd just be like, you know, almost kind of being like a shell of myself because I'm trying to be so perfect out there. And, you know, we came up with the mom with disciple. And I mean, for lack of better term, I just stopped giving a fuck. It's like, I can miss 30 shots in a row. And I don't, I do not care. I'm shooting the shit again. Like, credit to my teammate, Ant, like, he was like that. Like, Aunt was like, bro, like, I worked.

Like, he'll always say, like, I work too hard on my game. It was like, man, if I miss this, I know I got to make the next one. And I remember telling you that. And I'm like, shit, I work hard too. I was like, I got to make this next shot. There's like, no way I'm going to miss this next shot. Like, and that became my mindset. It was like, I just, like, stop caring, like, in a way of so much of, like,

trying to be perfect out there and just be me. know that like that was good enough and I think I started to play like the best basketball of my career at that point because you know I just said I just I just I just stopped caring and it was like for me now was like rather than worrying about this that and the next I worry about the things I control and I just kind of felt like I was always hunting out there like I wasn't worried about oh this person's coming like it was like no I'm trying to kill you you you you and it was like it was like the rest was history like that that killer instinct that drive and all that stuff of just trying to dominate out there just it just uh it was big for me so um while we

were doing this i actually created images using chat gpt of the mamba disciple maybe we can put it up and i knew it stuck with you when you had this dream. Yeah. Could you talk about the dream? Yeah, I remember. I don't remember what point it was in the playoffs, but I remember telling you, I was like, Doc, like, when we get on a call, I was like, I got to tell you I had the craziest dream last night. And I was like, the shit felt so real. And I can't remember exactly what was happening. But all I know is I was somewhere and like I had like a little like hole in my leg or whatever or something, like a little mini hole and next thing you know i just start pulling snakes out of my leg like purple and the snakes

were like purple and gold and all this stuff and i'm like looking at the snakes i'm like man what is going on i'm like in the dream i'm freaked out because i'm like why are snakes coming out of my leg right now was the weirdest thing ever and i remember woke up uh waking up and i was like doc i text you i'm like i got to tell you about this dream it was fucking crazy and um you you you You know, so, but that's just how much I was like dived into, like, that character of, like you said, being a mama disciple. And it was, it just, very spiritual person. So it's always for me, I'm like, you know, Kobe was such an idol for me growing up and then to play with him, like, for him to be a mentor mine. And, you know, it just always made me think about him.

like, all right, man, like, you know, your big brother's around, like, you know, he's watching or, like, you kind of, like, feel like, his spirit there in a way, like, all right, God has given me these signs to let you know, like, you know, he's proud of you or whatever it is. So, like, it just, you know, it allowed me to, like, tap into his mentality. And I'm like, all right, I'm really, I will go out there, I'm like, I'm really the mama disciple, you know, and it just, it reminded me to, you know, thinking about it. Like Kobe, when he played, like, he was so dialed into the Black Mamba. Like, I remember even, like, his last game, like, he's doing the teeth and he's hissing.

Like, he always had the, like, sound where he would hiss, where he would want the ball. And it was like, that's really who he was. Like, on the court, he was unforgiven Black Mamba strike, like, no friends. Like, that's just, like, how he was. So he was so locked into that character. And I think it was really cool because it just allows you to disassociate from everything else that's going on. And it was fun. I'll tell you, it was like playing a video game.

It's like, I get to be this for the next three hours. Well, and when you're dreaming it, you know it's actually becoming part of who you are. And it's not something you want to be at home. No. Yeah, I don't think me being a mom of the cycle at home will work well. Right? But we developed rituals to put it on for the game when you needed it. And I mean, it's just so much fun to watch you the last half of the season.

So some of the lore around was that you didn't play well on the playoffs. So could you put this up, please? because I had so much fun when this popped up on my phone during the playoffs. Top headlines, the number one headline is Do It All Randalls, Triple Double, Fuels, Wolves, Win. I think you just need to put it up somewhere because this is where I want your mind focusing. The mobbed disciples, the good habits. And, you know, and marijuana may have gotten you there, but not for a long time. No, right?

Not at all, yeah. And likely it would have cost you $100 million with a divorce. Yeah, for sure. But, you know, that disappointed look that your mother and your wife give you that just rips your heart out. It makes you want to smoke more so you don't feel on it. Exactly. Right. this is ultimately the goal to be this is who you are yeah right when you talk about the gift

god gave you the gift to be one of the best in the world yeah absolutely um this was this was big for me just because I'm so competitive and but I think I was only able to play well during this time because it wasn't about proving anybody wrong and I think like I didn't allow like the noise and all that stuff to be like, oh, I got to prove this person. They said I don't play well and don't playoff. Okay, I got to prove this person wrong. I got to do this, this and that. And it's like the people always talk about it.

Like you want something so bad that you can't relax and you overcompensate and this that and next end. Ernest's whole time I was just like such a flow state where it was like the mom disciple was like I don't fucking care. Like I'm just going to go out and kill you. Like, you know, I don't give shit what you have to say about me, you know. And it also allowed me to like kind of evaluate it too. So like we had talked about like the first time like, you know,

I had my first playoff action. Like, I can own it. I didn't play well. But it was also, you know, my first time being in the playoffs after seven years or eight years, you know, and being the guy. And I'm like, okay, well, I got to, during that time, you know, I wasn't thinking clearly, but I'm like, all right, I got to just get better. You know, I can't really, you know, focus on what went wrong or this, that.

The next is like, all right, I just got to be better. I failed or not failed, but I'm learned. I've learned. And, you know, now it's time to move on. And the next time, I'm like, oh, I got to prove everybody wrong because I didn't play well or whatever. And, you know, I'm playing on an injured ankle and, you know, I'm playing on one ankle. And I'm like, all right, I'm not using that as an excuse. But, you know, I wasn't healthy.

You know, I had season right or surgery right after it happened. And it was like, I just wasn't the best version of myself. But I was also able to take moments during that time and be like, okay, this went well, this went well, this went well. And then, you know, the next year happens. and I hurt my shoulder. And I'm doing everything I can to come back. And I'm like, because I want to prove people wrong or this, that, the next thing,

it was just like, no, you actually just cannot play. Like, you know, I'm having points where I'm trying to come back and I'm re-hurted my shoulder and I can't feel my arm for 30 minutes. And I'm like, all right, bro, like, you think that you're going to win a championship with an arm you can't feel for 30 minutes in a game. Like, if it happens, I'm like, all right,

I'm just hurting my team, you know, more than anything. But, you know, this time, when we had talked about it all year, it was like, all right, I would just want to be the playing, be the best version of myself and playing the best basketball when April comes. And that was always the goal. It wasn't about being an all-star or, you know, all-N-B-A. I would love to be those things, obviously, you know, you have those goals. But it was like, all right, I want to be the best version of myself. And I felt not just physically healthy in my game that felt, you know, is the best as it has ever felt. All that was great, but I had the most clear mind possible, you know, going into those things.

And I think the things that I held value in from a basketball standpoint, it wasn't just about scoring 30 every single game. It was about how can I be the best version to help my team win games. And, you know, it could be scoring 30. It can be having a triple double and, you know, having 11, 12 assists. It can have 20 rebounds. It can get the game winning block. But it was like, I don't need. the score 30 to prove to you that I'm worthy or that I, you know, a playoff riser or a performer

or whatever. It was like, I'm just going to be me. I'm going to be the mom of disciple when I go all here and, you know, try to take your heart out and help my team win games. And I think like anything in life, you know, it clicks and you start to feel that success. And you're like, all right, I want to feel it again. And you continue to work and continue to do. the right things and that's just really all it was for me and you know ultimately we didn't end the season where we had where we wanted to but like i text you at the end of the season i'm like doc thank you like you saved my life like where i was headed wasn't great you know from a mental standpoint from personal and everything and i was able to take everything that happened at the end

the season and be like all right i learn this is where i have to be better this is where you know the challenges were so next time i get in that position i'm like all right I know what works and what doesn't work. I don't look at this as a failure. I learned something about myself in these moments. And, you know, I'm excited for the next step now. I'm so excited for you. And this is your first year with the Timberwolves.

Yeah, yeah. Right? And you didn't get traded at the beginning of the summer. No. You got traded a week before or a couple of days before training camp. Yeah. Right. And your shoulder still was.

And 100%. Yeah, I had no clue. I was just going to go play. And I was just like, the guy and they were like, no, we need to do this, this and this. And I'm like, okay. And I think from that moment on, I was like, all right, these guys want, you know, the best for me, obviously. And they want me to be the best version of myself. I remember talking to our president, Tim, and he was like, because I was, they wanted me wearing a shoulder brace. And I'm like, I'm not fucking wearing a shoulder brace out there. I was like, if I got to wear a shoulder brace, I'm not playing. And they were like, listen, man, like, Tim was like, we don't care about October or November, like we care about April. And we want you to be 100% healthy in April. So if you got to wear

the shoulder brace for three weeks, just do it. And I'm like, all right, whatever. And, you know, I ended up wearing a shoulder brace. And I finished, you know, thankful for them, like, thankful to them, I finished the season as healthy as I felt in six or seven years. So it was incredible. Yeah, that they have a really good medical staff. Yeah, the medical staff was incredible. It really took care of me. And so it's going to be, you have experience with most of the team, although you have an exciting new kid on the team. Yeah, yeah. He seems like he's going to be pretty good. Yeah. Yeah. And so you have a sense of where people, like the first half of the year, you were just getting used to it. When you were in New York, how long did it

take you to build that team that went to the playoffs? Well, the first year was hard. The first year was tough. It was a lot of new players. Probably like six or seven new players on the team. And And our coach had got fired 20 years, 30 so games in. And then I believe the president stepped down. Like so it was a lot of chaos. It was New York, you know, so it was a lot of chaos. And then the next year, you know, we had a lot more stability. And, you know, we had tips come in and he was great for us.

And, you know, up to that point, I had the best year of my career. And, you know, we got to the playoffs their year. So it took a year and a half, you know, two years to have that stability. But then even then, like things changed and it wasn't really, you know, stable again until my fourth year, fifth year, you know, so it was a lot of ups and else. So it takes time. It takes a lot of time. And being patient and you guys clearly jelled after you came back at the end of February.

Yeah. Well, it's truly been one of the honors of my life to work at this. been so much fun, even though I scream in at the TV. I know. Thank you, Doc. Thank you so much. I mean, I wish you all the best. And I'm excited to see what happens this year and how I can be helpful to.

I'm excited to. I'm excited to. Can't wait to see what it looks like a year from now. We see what it happened in a year. I can't wait to see what it looks like a year from now. It's so exciting. Yeah. Right?

That you are not, and it's one of the big love. of my life most people don't know you're not stuck with the brain you have you can make it better yeah i can prove it i've done this over and over and over the last 35 years and with a better brain comes a better life with a better brain comes better basketball comes better marriage comes a better dad comes a better son comes better money and you're just more likely to go to heaven If you think of it from a spiritual standpoint, it could have eternal value for you. Absolutely. Absolutely.

Thank you so much for doing this. I'm so grateful. Thank you, Doc. Appreciate you. You're in a war for the health of your brain. Everywhere you go, someone's trying to shove bad food down your throat that will kill you early or give you an addictive gadget, put terrible news in your head making. anxious.

Hi, I'm Dr. Daniel Amon, founder of Amon Clinics and Amon University. My wife, Tanna, and I created the Brain Warriors Way course that's 26 hours of content where we walk you through specifically in detail how to have a better brain and a better life. From the food you eat to the thoughts you think, to the strategy. that you can engage in every day. If you want to survive and thrive, you have to become a brain warrior.

I'm so grateful to Julius Randalls, and it's one of my favorite episodes ever. You're listening to the Change Your Brain Everyday podcast. If you like us, leave us a comment, question, or review. subscribe. We're grateful to have you part of our community.