Randy Livingston Jr. spoke with Basketball Sphere about his high school career, the national team, as well as his plans and ambitions.
Randy Livingston Jr, a 6-foot-2 point guard from Riviera Preparatory School in Miami, is a notable prospect in the Class of 2026. As the son of former NBA player Randy Livingston Sr, he has demonstrated strong skills in speed, perimeter shooting, and playmaking.
Ranked as a four-star recruit by ESPN, he committed to Texas State in October 2025 after receiving offers from programs including LSU, SMU, Boise State, Cal, and Georgetown.
Previously at Isidore Newman in New Orleans, where his father served as coach, Livingston Jr. transferred schools and has also competed internationally, representing Italy’s U16 national team.
In his junior season, he averaged 21.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 3.0 steals per game, contributing to his team’s 22-7 record.
In this interview, Livingston Jr. discusses his development, the challenges of his family legacy, his commitment to Texas State, and his approach to the game both on and off the court.
Claim Now Your dad Randy was your coach at Isidore Newman and now he runs your AAU team. How much has growing up with a father who was also your coach shaped your game and your mentality?
,,It was amazing. I mean, I really believe I wouldn’t be as far as I am right now without him, simply because of how much knowledge he has about the game. He has done his best to make me a flawless basketball player that can do it all.”
And is there one specific message or piece of advice from him that you love the most and repeat to yourself before every single game?
,,One message I would say he said that always stuck with me is, “The work will always show.”
You played for Italy at the U16 EuroBasket in 2024 and made a fantastic impression. What was that whole experience like for you? What’s the one memory that stands out the most from your time in Europe, and how did it feel wearing that Italian jersey?
,,The experience was great, and I would even say probably one of the most fun experiences I had playing basketball. One memory that stands out, I would say, is the last game we played against Israel, in which we got our revenge on them and I had a near double-double: 19 points and 8 assists.
Wearing that jersey felt amazing, just learning the history about the federation and all the people that came before me.”
Also, can you walk us through how it all came about — how did you end up playing for the Italian national team?
,,My mother is actually born and raised in Italy, so I was able to get my dual citizenship with the help of her” – Randy Livingston Jr said.
What’s the biggest difference you’ve felt between FIBA basketball and USA basketball?
,,The speed of the game in America is much faster and less cerebral than FIBA basketball, and I would even say the athletes in America are better. But like I said, FIBA is great because most of the kids are already pros and are treated like pros. FIBA is a very physical and cerebral game.”
You moved from New Orleans back to Miami right before your senior year. What was that transition like for you?
What excited you the most about being back home in Florida, and what’s been the best part about being at Riviera Prep?
,,The transition has been very smooth, but obviously my season personally ended earlier than expected with an injury in my shoulder. But the most exciting thing, I would say, is just being closer to friends and playing against guys I’ve played with my whole life” – Randy Livingston Jr said.
In your junior year at Newman you put up some incredible numbers — 21.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game…
Was there one specific game or moment that stands out where you thought to yourself, “Yeah… this is exactly what I want to do for the rest of my life”?
,,One specific game that stood out to me was the game against St. Aug High School in New Orleans, which was the championship of our tournament, and the game was electric from the start and was an amazing game. Highly anticipated match up.”
You’re known as an all-around playmaker with excellent basketball IQ. What’s the part of your game that you enjoy the most right now, and what do you love working on the most to get even better for the next level?
,,The part I enjoy right now is just the journey, to be honest. It’s cool to see myself persevere through some tough situations, and just the feeling of knowing the work is working is an amazing feeling.
There’s nothing specific that I love working on, but I just do stuff that’ll get me better, of course. Usually I work on stuff depending on the feedback from coaches.”
Which NBA point guard is your biggest role model when it comes to playmaking style?
,,I model my game after Allen Iverson, Jrue Holiday, and Davion Mitchell, specifically in college.”
You committed to Texas State in October and signed in November. What attracted you the most to the program?
Was there one specific thing they said that just completely won you over?
,,The thing that attracted me the most was the fact how the coaches recruited me very hard, and a majority of them are from New Orleans and had been recruiting me since my freshman year. Their whole pitch to me was amazing; no singular thing they said won me over” – RJ Livingston said.
Riviera Prep is back among the best teams in Florida this season. How are you feeling in your role as the leader of the team, and how has the chemistry with your teammates been like from day one?
,,It’s been good, but obviously a bit more tough than anticipated because I am forced to lead from the sideline, but definitely amazing. Chemistry has been good due to me knowing most of my teammates for a while.”
Throughout your career you’ve had so many great moments, but also some really challenging ones.
What was the biggest challenge you faced that you were able to turn into something positive, and how did that experience help you grow?
,,The biggest challenge I faced was me breaking my collarbone in multiple spots and dislocating it my summer going into my junior year. I was able to overcome it by only working out for about 2 and 1/2 weeks before Peach Jam, performing there, and then going to Italy for training camp for a week, followed up with the European Championship. The summer was made up with those two events and my performance.”
What’s the best advice you’d give to young players who are coming up and chasing their basketball dreams?
,,One advice I would give to young athletes is to just never compare themselves to another person’s life on Instagram and to keep working and trust the process.”
