The New York Knicks have been a disappointment this season. They made the playoffs last year after a really long time and were expected to improve on that this year. The Knicks also made solid signings in the offseason by bringing in Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier. But they are currently in the eleventh spot in the East behind the Wizards and Raptors.
Their star player, Julius Randle, who won the Most Improved Player award last year, has had a season to forget. He is averaging 18.9 points while shooting 41.1 percent from the field and 31.1% from three. The Knicks expected him to take the leap to the next level, but he has had a tough time this season. His midrange game does not seem so fluid anymore and his touch at the rim seems to have disappeared.
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Randle had not talked to the reporters since Jan. 6. However, he did speak to the reporters after the win against the Clippers. When asked why he was unavailable for so long, Randle replied,”team didn’t make me available“.
He did thank the owner, James Dolan, saying, “You know, honestly, I appreciate Mr. Dolan. He’s great. The reaction was, just the team didn’t make me available. And all I can do is my job as a player. The team didn’t make me available, and that’s it.”
Julius Randle frustrated with the New York Knicks Fans
Reportedly, Julius Randle is frustrated with his treatment by the fans. He was booed in the game against the Boston Celtics after the Knicks went down by 25. Randle gestured thumbs down to the crowd.
When asked what he meant by the thumbs down, he said “Shut the f–k up”. He used some profanities in his interview, addressing the criticism he received. Later, he was fined for using profane language in an interview.
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He did, however, apologize to the fans after the game on Instagram. He wrote, “Just want to send a quick message to our fans and be clear — I love NYC and being a part of this team and this franchise. And like most Knicks fans, I am really passionate about us being successful,”
View this post on Instagram
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