What has Julius Randle learned while playing under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden?
For starters, don’t feud with the fanbase, as Randle said on the latest Podcast P with Paul George.
“Don’t do the thumbs down,” Randle said, noting his gesture to the MSG crowd during the 2021-22 season that earned him plenty of heat. “That didn’t work out well for me.”
Joking aside, Randle did note that playing in New York can be tough given the passion and the expectation, which opens the door to criticism, which his family hears during the season.
“The Garden is a different animal,” Randle said. “The hardest thing for me is my family and my son…that’s the toughest thing, but I love it. It’s made me who I am today. It taught me so much about myself and as a player…it taught me a lot of who I am as a person. I’ve grown a lot.
“That s--t will age you, bro. It’s almost like you’re the president. You go in there, you see them, and they look great at first. Then four years later, they got the image, and they look old as hell. That’s how I feel right now.”
Still, despite how it is at times perceived from the outside, Randle says there is no place like New York, and he has loved his time with the Knicks, despite the ups and downs.
“You look at it from a media perspective, you’re like ‘Damn, it’s hard being there,’” Randle said. “But I go on walks all the time throughout the city, and I’m out, and it’s so much love. The fans, the interactions, face-to-face, it’s so much love. And we haven’t won s--t. we got to the second round. But they’re so appreciative…you look elsewhere, you wouldn’t think it, but it’s cool.”
Randle, still recovering from ankle surgery, experienced the highs and lows this past season, getting himself back to an All-NBA player before his ankle injuries limited him in the postseason, but he says the Knicks have a bright future ahead.
“We’re not that far off, and that’s motivating for me,” Randle said. “In my mind, I’m like, ‘How can I be the best version of myself to help the team win?’”
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