Exclusive | Julius Randle says fans wanted him ‘to be a Knick forever,’ before shocking trade to Minnesota: ‘Never go anywhere’

It was Randle’s island.

Julius Randle, the superstar power forward shockingly traded Friday night by the Knicks to the Minnesota Timberwolves, loves Manhattan — and Manhattan loved him.

News of his blockbuster trade will surely sadden some New Yorkers, who frequently told him to stay put.

“People telling me how much they love me being a Knick, how much the team needs me,” he told The Post Wednesday of his interactions on the streets of the city. “Telling me never to go anywhere. To be a Knick forever.”

Randle, 29, lives on the Upper West Side with his wife, Kendra, and sons Kyden, 7, and Jaycey, 2. But he’s also partial to another NYC nabe — Cobble Hill, Brooklyn — and was about to take 30 lucky fans on a tour there.

On Oct. 10, the 6-foot-8, three-time All-Star was supposed to host 40-minute bus tours, stopping at three of his favorite haunts, in partnership with Topo Chico mineral water. The events are now up in the air.

The first stop was to be the Mexican restaurant Taqueria Al Pastor & Bar, whose chicken quesadillas and tacos remind the Dallas native of home.

“I’m from Texas, so I’m used to Tex-Mex food. That’s a go-to for me.”

The second stop was scheduled to be clothing store The Brooklyn Circus, where Randle snagged one of his favorite pieces — a black Letterman jacket.

“That coincidentally I gave away to one of my best friends because he really wanted it,” he said.

When asked how many sneakers he owns, he laughed and said, “Too many, thousands.”

Randle, who now makes over $29 million a year, recalled a time when the sneaker budget was much smaller.

“I grew up going to school and my mom saying, ”Alright, you get a white a pair of shoes and a black pair. You got to make it work for the whole year,’” he said.

“So when I had the option to be able to get whatever I wanted, I kind of went overboard and really started collecting. So I got a bunch of shoes in storage.”

The final stop on the planned tour was supposed to be the café-record store Black Gold Records. Randle doesn’t drink coffee, but loves the vinyl selection.

“I’m a huge Jay-Z fan. They had some old Jay-Z . . . some DMX in there, old-school Busta Rhymes, all that stuff,” he said.

He listens to different playlists before and after games.

“I might have something before a game that will get me hyped. Drake’s my favorite artist, so I’m always listening to Drake . . . but there will be points in the season where I’ll be listening to classical music before a game if I’m too hyped,” he explained.

“After the game, something to calm me down. I love R&B, SZA, Summer Walker, Usher. I’m also a big fan of old school. I remember being in my mom’s car as a young kid, listening to Al Green and Whitney Houston.”

Although it isn’t on the tour, his favorite pizza joint is also in Brooklyn — Lucali in Carroll Gardens.

“I’m a big fan of the calzones … with prosciutto or pepperoni,” he said.

He gets his burgers from the Manhattan chain Black Tap and the restaurant Au Cheval in Tribeca — and hopes to one day try the one at MSG.

“I’ve just heard this for like the past two years, that the burger at the Garden is amazing. I still have not had it,” he said.

Now he possibly never will.