Julius Randle had a swift response to comments made by Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant during an interview with Hot 97's EBRO In The Morning, claiming the New York Knicks are not cool enough to get star-level free agents.
The 6-foot-9 forward responded to the two-time Finals MVP on Wednesday after practice:
“S**t, I know I feel cool putting on that blue and orange,” said Randle, who signed a three-year, $62 million deal with the organization this summer, according to Steve Popper of Newsday. “I don't know about everybody else, but I feel pretty cool wearing my Knicks gear everyday.”
Randle is one of the many short-term signings by the team and one of four power forwards that inked to play in The Big Apple, along with Bobby Portis, Taj Gibson, and Marcus Morris. The Kentucky product didn't think Durant made his comments as a slight, but rather as a means to share his opinion in the viewpoint of many NBA stars of his caliber.
The Knicks have not competed deep in the playoffs in nearly 20 years, and they have missed the postseason in the last six. Durant argued their lack of success wasn't much incentive for NBA stars hoping to land with a winning franchise.
However Randle thought differently:
“As NBA players, it's our job to know our history and the people who came before us,” he said.
The athletic four-man will have to wait a while to trade buckets with Durant as part of this spirited Nets vs. Knicks rivalry, as the former scoring champion is primed to sit out the 2019-20 season recovering from a torn Achilles.
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