Over the years, the NY Knicks have found a lot of icons sporting the blue and orange. Some of them include Walt Frazier, Patrick Erwing, Willis Reed, Carmelo Anthony, and many more. But, in the last few years, the team really didn’t have a superstar icon, who could lead the team. Importantly, the team hasn’t gone beyond playoffs first round for over two decades. However, after seven years, the team finally seemed to have identified its icon, who stands on par with LeBron James and Kevin Durant, as per the certified Knicks stan, Ben Stiller.

The icon is none other than Julius Randle. In his five-season presence with the Knicks, the 29-year-old big man took the Knicks to their first back-to-back Conference semi-final appearance since the 2000 playoffs. Truly a guiding light for the Big Apple fans. And Ben Stiller, who recently shared a stage with the Knicks players, made sure that they heard the fans cry.

The 58-year-old actor, sitting alongside Josh Hart, Jalen Brunson, and Spike Lee, another big Knicks stan, on a stage, said, “For so long the Knicks have been without an identity. Stiller continued, “For many years, we’ve been waiting for this special player and this person who’s gonna come down from the mountaintop and save the Knicks.” As the star actor builds up the anticipation and segues into revealing Julius Randle’s name, he had the fans booing for a particular reason.

Ben Stiller further added, “It was always some marquee player or some sort of dream-like LeBron or Kevin Durant,” leaving the crowd to boo a little louder, giving a glimpse of the MSG. However, he got them back immediately when he continued, “So there’s a lot of pain over the years for Knicks fans, waiting when is it gonna happen and the way this has happened, really starting with Julius Randle,” leaving the crowd erupting with a loud cheer.

What’s the Knicks’ 7-year-long pain?

It’s the pain of not having an identity, an icon. The last time this historic franchise had a marquee star was Carmelo Anthony. After a seven-season-long stint with the Knicks between 2010-11 to 2016-17, Melo had a splendid run for the NY side. During his time at the Knicks, he averaged 24.7 points with a season-high of 28.7 points.

However, despite his impressive performance, the team didn’t do well in the postseason. In the seven seasons, the team went to playoffs thrice and won only one series, against the Boston Celtics in 2013. However, this situation can take a turn with the new roster under the coaching of Tom Thibodeau.

In the last season, the team missed Julius Randle for the majority season due to a shoulder injury. Even then, the team managed to move the needle with the help of strong-willed stars like Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and OG Anunoby. Heading into the 2024-25 season, the team has roped in Mikal Bridges, and with the availability of Randle, the Knicks could be a lethal threat in the Eastern Conference. Will the Knicks reach the Finals in the upcoming season? Let us know in the comments below.

Before leaving, do watch the Dual Threat Show hosted by BG12 where Bulldogs’ Asia Avinger details her experience with Kobe Bryant, her WNBA ROTY picks, and more in the video below.