Charles Barkley Rips Knicks’ Julius Randle for Insulting New York Fans: “I Never Understand Why Players Think You’re Supposed to Get Cheered When You’re Playing Bad”

The New York Knicks triumphed over Boston Celtics in a 25 point comeback with a buzzer-beater three from RJ Barrett. And while the victory was arguably courtesy of Evan Fournier’s performance, the Knicks fans certainly had some other takeaways from the game to think about. Like watching their own star player Julius Randle giving them a thumbs down even when they cheered for him.

It seems bizarre on first look that even when Randle was getting cheered on; he had a problem. Subsequently, Randle revealed he did that because the crowd did not support him while he had a poor run of games. Therefore, he did not appreciate their support when he’s performing well.

This did not sit well with NBA experts and fans across the world. Some experts even heavily criticized his decision to do that and could not believe the unreal expectations the All-Star set for himself. Charles Barkley was one of those experts who could not believe Randle’s unrealistic expectations.

Charles Barkley takes a shot at Randle for gesturing thumbs down at Madison Square Garden

In the post-game show, Inside the NBA, Charles Barkley did not hesitate to reveal how appalled he was with Randle. He said, “I never understand why players think you are supposed to get cheered when you are playing bad. No, you’re going to get booed when you are playing bad. And you’re going to get cheered when you win.” 

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He questioned his rationale and said, “Wait, you are playing bad, are they supposed to cheer when you are playing bad?”

Barkley was very vocal about how unrealistic Randle’s expectations are. Therefore, he added, “I don’t understand as a player, this is the way this thing works. We ain’t doctors, we ain’t lawyers. If you play good, people cheer you. If you play bad, people boo you. That is the deal you make with fans. That’s the deal!”

What does this mean for Julius Randle and the New York Knicks?

New York Knicks came back from a 25 point deficit to win in crunch time. While this may have boosted the squad’s morale, the crowd is certainly not pleased with their superstar. Julius Randle dropped 22 points and picked up 8 rebounds in the game against the Celtics.

However, the All-Star’s overall scoring average has so far dropped drastically from nearly 24 points per game to around 19 points per game. This is certainly a worrying sight for the New York fans who are bound to boo him when he struggles.

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But could this rift between the fans and Randle cause problems for his future at the franchise? Or even to his own morale and performance in home games? Let us know what you think about it.