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Ahhh, the 2020–21 season. I remember it well. After years as a punchline, the Knicks unexpectedly became competitive under first-year, veteran coach Tom Thibodeau and breakout star Julius Randle. They finished with a winning record, earned the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, and returned to the postseason.
Randle’s stellar season (24.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, six assists, All-Star, second-team All-NBA, Most Improved Player) helped the team go from the butt of jokes to something more competent. He was high-usage, physical, available, and visibly invested in the work ethic Thibs demanded. Randle defined the season on April 21, 2021 when—after scoring 40 points and grabbing 11 boards to beat the Hawks in overtime—he famously told the MSG crowd, “We here.”
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We loved it, this weird, slippery feeling he brought back to us called hope. The Knicks lost to the Hawks in the first round, but we were undeterred. For the first time in a long time, the hope felt real.
Randle was taken seventh in the 2014 draft by the Lakers. Take a look at how young and unrefined he was back in 2019, at his first media day as a Knickerbocker. He would come a long way in a short time under the bright lights of NYC.
On August 25, 2021, Randle signed a four-year extension worth a reported $117 million with incentives and a player option in the final year. It was the most the Knicks could offer under CBA rules, but a sight less than Randle might have earned by reaching unrestricted free agency in 2022. Had he maintained something close to his All-NBA production, projections put his next deal near five years and $200 million. (I’d love to know how he explained that to Mrs. Randle.)
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Randle justified leaving tens of millions on the table by saying he believed the decision would give the Knicks greater flexibility to build a contender. After earlier career stops with the Lakers and Pelicans, where he had not always been happy, Jules wanted to lock into a situation he believed in. The big fella received security, continuity, and a chance to help shape the franchise. And the fanbase received an encouraging sign that…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/date-knicks-history-julius-randle-144905788.html
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Publish date : 2026-08-25 14:49:00
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