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Julius Randle Shows No Emotion for Knicks Reunion

Julius Randle is showing no emotion as he faces the New York Knicks for the first time since being traded in October.

Jed Katz

Dec 4, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (30) re-enters the game during the third quarter against the Los Angeles Clippers at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Dec 4, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (30) re-enters the game during the third quarter against the Los Angeles Clippers at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images / Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
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All eyes will be on the New York Knicks matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight at 9:30 p.m. ET. It will be the first time Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo face their former team, as well as Karl-Anthony Towns since the three were involved in a blockbuster trade back in October.

The game will certainly be emotional, as DiVincenzo mentioned that he still keeps up with his former teammates regularly. According to him, he's still rooting for New York even from afar.

However, for Randle, the game will be less emotional, as he's treating it like any other basketball game. During media availability after the Timberwolves' practice on Wednesday, Randle showed no emotion toward the reunion.

"Another game," Randle said bluntly. When asked why this is different from his first meeting with the Los Angeles Lakers since leaving back in 2018, he said, "I'm 30 years old."

Randle was very short in his answers, essentially brushing off the game as 'business as usual.' However, he was all smiles when giving his answers, which could signal that this just any other game for him.

The three-time All-Star averaged 22.6 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 4.7 assists in five seasons with the Knicks from 2019 to 2024. He was the face of the franchise for years, as he brought New York basketball back to relevancy in 2021, giving the Knicks their first playoff appearance since 2013.

There will always be discourse on how great Randle truly was in the half-decade he spent in New York. Fans will always talk about his playoff struggles in 2021 and 2023, as he averaged 17.1 points per game on 34.4% shooting in a combined 15 games. However, he laid the foundation for what the Knicks are now and raised the standard for New York basketball.

While it looks like the Knicks are winning the trade as Towns is cementing himself as a top player in the NBA, fans won't forget the impact Randle and DiVincenzo had on the franchise, even if it was for a short time with ups and downs. However, for Randle, it's "another game."

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Jed Katz
JED KATZ

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