Getty Julius Randle walks up the court during a February 9 game against the Miami Heat.
There were a lot of storylines and predictions heading into the 2020-21 NBA season. The Lakers were looking to repeat for the first time since Kobe did it in 2010, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving were finally going to suit up together, how would the Clippers respond to a disappointing loss in the bubble, the headlines were endless.
What nobody could see coming was a revenge tour from the New York Knicks. The Knicks are headed back to the playoffs for the first time since 2013 and their resurgence is thanks in large part to a breakout season from their All-Star big man Julius Randle.
Julius Randle’s Son Is Pumped for the Playoffs
On the season Randle is averaging 24.0 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 5.9 assists. Randle will likely make an All-NBA squad and is one of the top candidates for the league’s, Most Improved Player award, an award that his former Laker teammate Brandon Ingram won last year.
Despite the multitude of accolades that Randle is expected to receive this season, he is still not the most famous Randle amongst Knicks fans. Randle’s son Kyden has slowly but surely become a Knicks fan favorite. New York clinched their first playoff berth since the Carmelo Anthony era after the Celtics lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday. Kyden had a message for NBA fans around the world after the Knicks completed such a historic feat.
“Playoff-bound we here!” he said in a video posted by Bro Bible.
The Knicks clinched the playoffs and Julius Randle’s son Kyden is pumped 👏
The Knicks Have Earned This Playoff Spot
While to the outside world the Knicks may seem like they are an overnight success, head coach Tom Thibodeau knows that is not the case. Brick by brick this team has been built to compete through hard work and dedication and it starts and ends with the relentless work ethic of Randle. The first time All-Star has paid his dues and now it is time for him and this Knicks squad to start reaping the fruits of their labor.
“It always starts with your best players, if they work like that it sets a tone for the team, and so [Randle] is relentless,” Thibodeau said via Ian O’Connor of the New York Post.
“It’s not an accident that he’s having the type of season that he’s having. His commitment, I could see it from the first day I met him, the type of conditioning he had and how committed he was to turning this thing around.”
Tom Thibodeau Compare Randle to Patrick Ewing
Randle is averaging career highs in points, rebounds, assists, and steals. For his career, Randle is a 34.1% three-point shooter, that number has skyrocketed to 41.2% this season. These types of turnarounds do not come by mistake but rather dedication and the desire to improve. Randle’s drive has Thibodeau comparing him to another all-time Knicks great.
“I can recall back in the ’90s when I first arrived here as an assistant, the thing that blew me away was Patrick Ewing, every morning in the offseason, he was the first guy in the building and worked like crazy, and the rest of the team did the same. I think that’s leadership. It’s not what you say, it’s what you do,” Thibodeau said.
With just two games remaining in the regular season, the Knicks still have an opportunity to reclaim the 4th seed in the Eastern Conference playoff rankings.
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