Getty Julius Randle #30 and Quentin Grimes #6 of the New York Knicks celebrate late in the fourth quarter during game two of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Miami Heat.
While Julius Randle has become a polarizing figure among the New York Knicks fan base, the two-time All-Star forward has the respect of his teammates.
Quentin Grimes defended Randle from criticisms even after the two-time All-Star forward battled through ankle injuries in the postseason to help the Knicks reach the second round.
“It just really shows you that nobody should ever be questioning his toughness, how much he wants it, how much he cares about the team, how much he cares about winning,” Grimes told SNY’s Ian Begley after the scrimmage between U.S. Select and Team USA in Las Vegas on Friday. “I think there’s a certain narrative around him, which I think is total bulls–t honestly. He cares a lot about this team. He does everything he can possibly [do] to make sure his body is right, to make sure he’s in the best shape possible, to make sure he can give it all. So that’s my dog. It just shows how much he wants to win.”
Randle admitted to being a sore loser in a recent guesting on HBO’s “The Shop: Uninterrupted” when asked about playing in New York, one of the most demanding markets in the NBA.
“Yeah, it’s different. It’s definitely different from every other place. It’s tough,” Randle said. “Especially for a person like me who cares so much. And wants to win. And wants to win every single game. My friends will tell you, my wife, everybody will tell you I’m a sore loser. And the media, it’s tough. But I could say being here in New York has made me who I am to this day. It built me.”
It’s not the first time that Randle has played in a big market after starting his NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers. But in New York, the expectations are high as his role shifted to one of the lead stars of the team.
Julius Randle, Jalen Brunson Exchange Compliments
Randle pointed to Jalen Brunson as one of his biggest motivators in the team.
“One of the biggest people that honestly pushed me was Jalen, my teammate, because I saw how he worked,” Randle said Wednesday in an episode of The Shop: Uninterrupted in Brooklyn. “And I’m a worker. And I saw how diligent he was, his focus level to it. So JB’s really pushed me.”
But Brunson deflected the credit.
“The one thing I know is Julius does the work,” Brunson told SNY’s Ian Begley after Team USA’s scrimmage in Las Vegas on Friday. “That’s a compliment coming from him, but he has the mindset. I may have helped a little bit, but that’s really all him. He’s a worker, he comes in every day and does what he has to do at practice. He makes sure he gets all his work in.”
Hornets Take a Flier on Former Knicks Lottery Pick
After taking a flier on former Knicks point guard Dennis Smith Jr. last season, the Charlotte Hornets gave another ex-Knick a chance to revive his career.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Hornets have signed Frank Ntilikina to a partially guaranteed one-year deal.
The 25-year-old Ntilikina played for the Dallas Mavericks for the past two seasons after spending his first four in the NBA with the Knicks. Unfortunately, Ntilikina, who was selected No. 8 in the 2017 NBA Draft, did not pan out in New York.