Julius Randle spent a half-decade lifting the Knicks from cellar-dwellers to contenders, only to get traded away before they finally earned a championship.
asserted
they → spend → championship
Now he’s back in the city, across town in Brooklyn, happy to have seen his old teammates become winners while trying to help his new ones on the Nets do the same.
asserted
ones → ’ → same
“I’m happy [for the Knicks], man,” said Randle, one of the first Nets to utter that phrase.
asserted
Randle → ’m → phrase
“I kept in touch with guys.
asserted
I → keep → guys
I’ve had a lot of great moments here in the city.
asserted
I → have → city
I spent five years here, my family has grown here; so I was extremely excited, happy for those guys.
asserted
I → spend → guys
A lot went into that; it’s not just myself, years before me.
asserted
it → go → me
I was just last month on a trip with OG [Anunoby] in Brazil, just kicking it, talking with each other.
asserted
I → kick → other
So it was a great thing, not just for them, for the organization, [but] for the city that has craved that — we know how New York is — so has craved that winning formula, winning environment.
asserted
York → crave → environment
And we plan to do the same thing here.
asserted
we → plan → thing
As a soon-to-be 32-year-old — one who’ll be linked in trade rumors, since he can opt into unrestricted free agency next summer — Randle might not be around long enough for that.
uncertain
Randle → link → that
The Knicks proved that.
asserted
Knicks → prove → that
Randle arrived in the Garden in 2019, joining a Knicks team that was a league-worst 17-65 and had gone six seasons without the playoffs.
asserted
that → arrive → playoffs
Two years later, Randle made his first All-Star game, and he had them back in the postseason.
asserted
he → make → postseason
But two years ago this month, Randle was traded to Minnesota in a three-team deal that brought Karl-Anthony Towns to the Garden.
asserted
that → trade → Garden
Randle wasn’t around to see the Knicks close the deal this June.
asserted
Knicks → see → deal
After averaging 12.8 points and .342 shooting in Minnesota’s second-round defeat — finishing with three points on 1-for-8 shooting in Game 6, and blowing off his exit interview — Randle came under fire and was traded again.
Anthony Edwards said Monday that he missed Naz Reid, but conspicuously didn’t mention Randle, and said he was pleased with the roster as is.
“I’m gonna miss Naz for sure; that’s my brother.
asserted
that → average → Naz
But I’m super happy about the changes in the locker room,” Edwards said in what many saw as a slight to Randle.
asserted
many → ’m → Randle
But in need of an on-ball scorer, floor raiser and experience, the Nets are confident Randle is the right sort of veteran to guide their youngsters.
asserted
Randle → guide → youngsters
“Everything [I’d] heard was not good but great, as a person, family man, worker, ultimate pro, about the right things,” Jordi Fernandez said.
asserted
Fernandez → hear → things
“He’s going to impact what we’re trying to do here. …
asserted
we → go → what
He’s coming here to get better, to lead by example.
asserted
He → come → example
So, very happy before when we were trying to get him — and now that I’ve got [him], I couldn’t be happier.”
asserted
I → try → him
Randle is happy to be back in New York, never wanting to leave.
asserted
Randle → want → York
Now he’s back, older and wiser.
asserted
he → ’ → ?
When asked if he ever feels his veteran status, Randle joked “Yeah, I feel it every single day.
asserted
I → ask → it
I’ve reached Unc status for sure.”
asserted
I → reach → status
Tasked with teaching the league’s youngest squad, teammates have asked him about playing alongside the late Kobe Bryant.
asserted
teammates → task → Bryant
Both Fernandez and GM Sean Marks will rely on Randle to lead, with Fernandez saying he’ll “challenge” the All-NBA forward.
asserted
he → rely → forward
“I love to be coached, and there’s different ways he’ll challenge me in parts of the game, whether it’s my rebounding or if it’s running the floor or if it’s being better on defense,” Randle said.
asserted
Randle → love → defense
“I’m not afraid to be coached, and whatever he needs to do, you should coach your best players the hardest.
asserted
you → ’m → players
“If he needs something from me, he’ll call me.
asserted
he → need → me
So it’s a great relationship.
asserted
it → ’ → ?
So he’s been great at building that with me, and I trust him fully; so it’s been good.”
asserted
it → build → him
The Aporia
