Julius Randle has displayed strong improvement throughout his five seasons with the New York Knicks. Unfortunately, he suffered an injury that prevented him from playing in the 2024 playoffs, but he will return strong. After the postseason, Randle reflected on a past fan incident from 2022 when the Knicks played the Boston Celtics, dropping a truth bomb on a bold move.
On January 6th, 2022, the Knicks edged past the Celtics 108-105, but not without drama. New York was down during the first half, and fans serenaded them with boos. Later during the fourth quarter, Julius Randle scored a bucket and flashed a thumbs-down gesture to the crowd while jogging back. Randle looked back on the move two years later on a podcast with Carmelo Anthony.
“That moment was more about me than it was about anything else as far as what I was dealing with, maturing as a player, as a person you know what I mean. Learning not to let your emotions get the best of you, like all those different type of things. Because like I grew up playing off of just raw emotion. Some dudes, like I can't be like Melo. Melo’s cool. He’s chill, you know? He’s probably hot-tempered inside but you know outside I'm hot,” Randle said, via 7 PM in Brooklyn.
Randle further revealed that he was not prepared for the brutality of New York fans.
“And New York’s a different place too you know I mean? I ain't used to like you playing like s—t, and I was playing like s—t you know what I mean… So it's just like I ain't used to playing like s–t then motherf—–rs booing you. So it's just like it was a new experience for me,” Randle added.
Julius Randle looks to continue to win Knicks fans over
Two years after the infamous Knicks-Celtics game, Randle has made notable strides. He went from averaging 20.1 points per game during the 2021-22 season to 24.0 in 2023-24. Randle has been a great offensive piece for the Knicks alongside emerging star point guard Jalen Brunson.
Randle had tough bouts with injuries during the regular season. He only appeared in 46 games and eventually suffered a shoulder injury that saw him miss New York's first and second-round postseason matchups. Nevertheless, he is recovering and should be strong for the start of the 2024-25 season.
The star forward is just what the Knicks need to get over the hump. New York traded for former Toronto Raptors forward OG Anunoby at the February deadline. As a result, their defense received a stout upgrade, which allowed Randle to focus more on offense. When Anunoby, Mitchell Robinson, and Randle return healthy, the Knicks' frontcourt will be a force to be reckoned with.
Although, things will not be easy in the competitive Eastern Conference. The Knicks have to go through the reigning champion Boston Celtics and other emerging teams to reach their ultimate goal. But with more continuity, there is no doubt New York will remain competitive. Hopefully, Knicks fans will not have much to boo about when the 2024-25 season starts.
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