“Telling me never to go anywhere. To be a Knick forever.” Just days before getting traded, Julius Randle revealed how much the fans wanted him to stay in New York. But no player is safe from the brutality of the NBA business. With the chance to bag a star like Karl-Anthony Towns, James Dolan pounced on the opportunity, even if it meant parting ways with Randle. While KAT’s addition is a huge upgrade, the Knicks fans were left heartbroken and actor Ben Stiller even paid homage to the All-Star forward ahead of other NY celebs.

Devoting five years of his hoops career to the franchise, Julius Randle surely won a lot of hearts in New York. And Ben Stiller penned how much he meant to the city in a heartfelt tweet, “Julius Randle carried the Knicks on his back when he first came here. Brought winning back. No one will ever know what the winning January ‘24 Knicks would have done in 24/25.” Yes, when the hooper joined the Knicks five years ago, they had not made the playoffs for six years and were looking for a ray of hope.

Only in his second season, Julius Randle single-handedly led them to the postseason. Sure, there were hurdles along the way as Ben Stiller wrote, “He went through ups and downs here and fans were tough on him sometimes. Who can know what it is to endure that pressure. I wouldn’t want it. But he did.”

Be it injuries or a bad performance spell, Julius Randle rose above it all and played a massive role in turning the franchise around. And Ben Stiller has shown that he is forever grateful, penning, “Through it all his commitment to the community and the team was and is undeniable. Grateful for his time here. He is an All-Star and we’re lucky to have had him. Wish him all the best in Minnesota, he is going to bring a lot of toughness and grit and dedication to that team and community.”

While Ben Stiller let it all out in his heartfelt tweet, other Knicks celebrity fans, including Spike Lee, are yet to reveal their thoughts about this sudden Julius Randle’s trade. But with the hooper’s nervy contract situation, his departure seemed inevitable.

Julius Randle had made “no progress” in extension talks as Knicks assessed the ‘fit’ problem

While the Knicks fanbase is heartbroken, Randle’s departure should not come as a big surprise. Although he had turned into a star during his time in New York, a lot had changed in the franchise in the past year while he was out with a shoulder injury. With Jalen Brunson making an MVP calibre leap, it became clear that he was the one the team would prioritize building around. Sure enough, it became evident this summer as the hooper inked a four-year $156.5 million extension.

Meanwhile, Julius Randle had reportedly made “no progress” in the contract extension talks with the front office, even though he was eligible for a new deal. As per veteran insider Brian Windhorst, “He wasn’t sure where exactly he’d fit with a team built around Jalen Brunson and former Villanova teammates. Randle knew he would likely be playing a ton of rugged minutes out of position at center in what was shaping up to be a contract year.”

Yes, dealing with the length issue, Tom Thibodeau had plans to move Julius Randle to the Center position if needed. So, it made sense to trade him when a true Center like KAT became available. However, that does not take away from what the hooper has meant for the Knicks franchise and the role he played in turning them back to legitimate title contenders. What are your thoughts?

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.