The New York Knicks haven’t had a great season so far, and the constant losses are beginning to wear on the fans who support the team through thick and thin.
During the January 26 loss on the road to the Miami Heat, the Knicks found themselves in a massive hole and the fourth quarter was almost exclusively garbage time. A silver lining is that it got Cam Reddish some much needed work, but there’s still a big question mark looming over the starting lineup.
Perhaps the biggest problem is Julius Randle and his massive regression from the previous season into this one. Fans are beginning to turn on him, and Randle has fired back at them a few times.
A Knicks fan who attended the Wednesday matchup at FTX Arena in Miami was heckling Randle, and he ended up being identified by the star player and removed from the arena.
Knicks Fan Ejected
How to get booted from an NBA game
✅ Buy tickets
✅ Be passionate about your team
✅ Hurt Julius Randle’s feelings
The fan called into the Carton & Roberts show on January 28 and explained his side of the story.
“Hey Randle, you get a $118 million contract and this is what I get? The fans get a thumbs-down, this is what we get,” he told the radio station.
Later on in the game, he yelled out to Randle that he -34 in the plus/minus category, and this is when Randle alerted security and had the fan escorted out. Keep in mind that it’s difficult to be removed from an NBA game, so there might be more to the story here and we’re only getting one side of it. It does appear that the heckling was going on throughout the game.
A Knicks fan says Julius Randle had him ejected vs the Miami Heat
“He’s sitting right in front of me, I said, ‘Hey, you know you’re -34 right now, right?’ Then he looked at me, was clearly trying to intimidate me, then he got security, and that was a wrap.”
(Via @SBondyNYDN)
Whatever the case may be, the fan was ejected despite him saying he didn’t say anything profane. His comments come on the heels of another national TV ejection when Los Angeles Lakers forward Carmelo Anthony had a fan removed from the Philadelphia 76ers crowd.
Randle Says He’s Sticking Around
GettyNew York Knicks star Julius Randle reacts during a game against the Indiana Pacers at MSG.
There have been a lot of rumors and question marks floating around Randle’s future with the team. After signing a massive extension in the offseason, he’s largely under performed and fans are worried that this version Randle is here to stay.
Speaking to reporters on January 28, he reiterated his desire to stick around with the team for the long haul.
“I wouldn’t change it. I still wanna be a part of it,” he said. “I still wanna see this thing through. I still wanna be a part of helping trying to bring a championship to the Knicks.”
With him signing a four year deal in the offseason, it’s not like he has many other choices unless the team dumps him in a trade.
“I’m still behind this. I’m still sticking it through,” he continued.
The team has a big hole to climb out of as they are currently outside of the NBA play-in tournament cutoff, but not by far. To qualify for the tournament, the Knicks would need to secure the 10th spot, which is definitely something that’s possible, but it’s not clear how much further they’ll be going from there considering how the season has gone so far.
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Knicks Fan Claims Julius Randle Took Drastic Action During Arena Run-In