Getty Julius Randle and his wife Kendra
New York Knicks star Julius Randle is married to Kendra Shaw, a Kentucky native and entrepreneur. Shaw and Randle are college sweethearts who met at the University of Kentucky in 2013 and got married in August 2017. They now have two sons together, Kyden and Jayce Randle.
Here’s what you need to know about Julius Randle’s wife Kendra Shaw:
1. Julius Randle & Kendra Shaw Met on Her 20th Birthday at a College Party at the University of Kentucky
Kendra Shaw, now known as Kendra Randle, grew up in Whitley County, south Kentucky, and attended Boston Elementary. When she was in fifth grade, her family moved to Lexington after her mom got a job promotion, Shaw told the Times-Tribune.
“I loved my childhood in Whitley County and I wouldn’t change it for the world,” she shared. “It taught me so much that I didn’t know at the time would shape me into who I am today. Being kind to everyone I think is something I will always know I learned from people back home.”
She attended the University of Kentucky from 2011 to 2014, where she studied fashion merchandising, and she met her future husband at a college party when she was a junior. Shaw was celebrating her 20th birthday at a college party when one of her friends arrived with Randle. She recalled that she immediately noticed his great manners, which was “unusual for the average college guy,” she told Wedding Style Magazine.
“He wished me a happy birthday and thanked me for having him!” she added. They didn’t really speak more that night but she said they often caught themselves looking at each other throughout the night. Shaw said that soon afterward, he asked her out to dinner. “I had never dated a basketball player,” she shared, “but he was genuine and sweet and I knew it would be okay.”
The following year, Randle was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers and she moved with her then-boyfriend to California.
2. Kendra Shaw Was Always Interested in Fashion & Decided to Pursue a Career in Fashion Design
Shaw is an entrepreneur with a passion for fashion design who launched her own clothing line in 2019. Despite her interest in fashion, she told the Times-Tribune that she was a tomboy when she was younger and liked to play basketball.
“Growing up, I was a tomboy who played sports but I would always plan my outfits for my games and put so much thought into what I was going to wear every day, even as a child,” she spilled. “Growing up in Kentucky, there weren’t any resources to get involved with in the fashion industry so I would study it religiously. I would watch New York Fashion Week and just dream of being able to go one day.”
Once she moved with her family to Lexington and turned 16, Shaw started working at Victoria’s Secret and continued working there through high school and college. She said as a teenager, it was a “dream” job and it only served to reinforce her love of fashion. After graduating with her degree in fashion design and merchandising, the family moved to Los Angeles.
Shaw began working as an intern with American fashion designer Michael Costello, who appeared on “Project Runway.” She said she saw a job application on Instagram and decided to apply. “I got called in for an interview and got the job — I was so ecstatic,” she told the Times-Tribune. “It was the first couple months of living in LA and it was such a dream to me — I couldn’t believe it.”
3. Kendra Shaw Launched Her Own Clothing Company, Kalore, in 2019
Kalore is Shaw’s clothing brand, which she created in 2019, and is based in New York City. “A small-town girl from Kentucky and raised by a single mother, our founder and CEO, Kendra Randle is living a life she only dreamed of,” her bio states on her website.
“A wife and mother, Kendra understands the demands of balancing career and family,” it adds. “With determination to make her childhood dreams come true, she persevered to build her brand and present her own fashion designs. With passion, each piece is intricately crafted by her with intention to inspire each and every woman to embrace feeling sexy and strong.” According to the brand’s website, the company has an all-female team.
Shaw spoke about her decision to create her own clothing line with the Times-Tribune and said the hardest part about it was that it meant she’d be going back to work and would have to be away from her children when she didn’t actually need to work. However, she shared that she “knew that I wouldn’t be content with myself until I tried to go for my dreams.”
“I also wanted to show my son to go after his dreams no matter what. My husband is super supportive so it has made it all worth it,” she shared. Kalore is a contemporary womenswear brand that sells dresses, jackets, tops, bottoms and bodysuits.
4. Juliue Randle Proposed to Kendra Shaw During a Trip to Greece in 2016 & They Got Married in Newport Beach in 2017
Randle and Shaw got engaged on June 20, 2016, during a surprise vacation in Santorini, Greece. “I knew she would be so blown away by being in her dream destination that she wouldn’t even be thinking about a proposal,” the Knicks star told Wedding Style Magazine.
While describing the proposal to the publication, the couple said they had dinner on a balcony by the water and were serenaded by a violinist. Randle got down on one knee at sunset and asked Shaw to marry him. “I was so sure that he didn’t have a ring with him because he wouldn’t have been able to get something like that past me,” she shared.
At the time, she wrote on Instagram, “6/20/16 the best night of my entire life. I couldn’t have painted a better picture. Words can’t describe the way I’m feeling and how I felt in that moment. You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me and I can’t wait to spend forever with you.”
The couple got married on August 3, 2017, at The Resort at Pelican Hill in Newport Beach. “It was big and open, near the ocean and ‘very us’ feeling,” Shaw described the venue. Their firstborn son Kyden was 7 months old at their wedding and he was pulled down the aisle in a wagon covered in flowers. Randle shared, “Seeing our son come down the aisle gave me a sense of completion and fullness, making me proud that our family was becoming one.”
5. Julius Randle & Kendra Shaw Have 2 Sons Together, Kyden & Jayce Randle
Randle and Shaw are the proud parents of two young boys, Kyden and Jayce Randle. Kyden Randle was born on December 23, 2016, and Jayce Randle was born in October 2021. Randle said it was “Amazing, amazing just to be able to grow my family, to bring our son into the world, for Kyden to become a big brother,” the New York Post reported.
He said Kyden was “obsessed” with his baby brother and was already loving being a “protective” older brother. Kyden has become a bit of a celebrity among Knicks fans for his cute reactions at games and Knicks events. Kyden and Jayce Randle both already have their own Instagram accounts which are run by their parents.
Randle’s family is his “why,” the center of his world and his purpose, he told Haute Living. “It’s honestly a double-edge sword with that as well because I am, like, [Kyden’s] hero,” he said. He shared the example of going through a rough season but knowing that his son is watching all of the ups and downs.
“My son imitates everything,” Randle shared. “He’s just a sponge, taking it all in. So I can’t be arguing with the ref. If I’m arguing with the official, it’s just not a good look, because he sees it, and then he thinks it’s okay.”