Knicks Legend Analyzes Julius Randle's Legacy

Walt "Clyde" Frazier is glad to see that New York Knicks fans have come to appreciate Julius Randle's contributions to the organization.

Oct 26, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (30) backs towards the basket as Toronto Raptors guard Davion Mitchell (45) plays defense in the second half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images / Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

It takes a lot to throw legendary New York Knicks player/broadcaster Walt "Clyde" Frazier off his game, but the team had at least one more surprise for him earlier this month.

Speaking on the FanDuel web series "Run It Back," Frazier remarked that the Knicks' swap of Julius Randle for Karl-Anthony Towns left him "flabbergasted." The deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves, which also included Donte DiVincenzo, ended the rollercoaster tenure of Randle, who established himself as a lasting NBA star during his time in New York.

While Frazier lauded the potential impact Towns could have on the Knicks' championship fortunes, he couldn't help but rue the lost opportunity Randle had in Manhattan, especially after last season ended prematurely due to injury."

"I like Randle," Frazier said. "I thought he would come back with a vengeance, he had a lot to prove."

Randle's time in New York perhaps defines the concept of bittersweet in NBA circles: he no doubt played a major role in thrusting the Knicks back into the realm of relevancy and repped the team in three All-Star Games. Injuries, however, ate away at his postseason impact, including a shoulder ailment that ended his final metropolitan tour in January.

To that end, Frazier believes that Randle holds an "unprecedented" place in the minds of Knicks fans.

"I never saw that before, because Knick fans are the best," Frazier said when host Lou Williams asked him why New Yorkers may not fully appreciate Randle's metropolitan legacy. "I think what turned them off against Randle was he gave them the finger once or something and that kind of alienated half of them. They never forgave him for that, the other half did."

Frazier was referring to a January 2022 incident where Randle, struggling to build off his breakout season, directed a thumbs-down gesture to Knicks fans when they offered him a sarcastic cheer during a rivalry game against Boston. While Randle put up consistent, quality numbers after that cursed season, he never attained the following other Knicks All-Stars landed during their respective tenures.

"He was never a guy like Bernard (King) or any normal superstar that plays for the Knicks, where he got that adulation," Frazier explained. "But I was happy to see, now that he was traded, that they are saying what he did do for the team. I mean, he was an All-Star, All-NBA player, so be brought some stability to the franchise before he left."

Randle now gets to re-establish his legacy in Minnesota, which Is looking to build on last season's run to the Western Conference Finals. In his first three games as a Wolf, Randle is averaging 24.3 points and 7.7 rebounds and he fell just short of a double-double in Saturday's victorious home opener against Toronto.

Randle will return to Madison Square Garden on Jan. 17. In the meantime, the Knicks (1-1) host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG).

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