Frustration has been building up in New York since they have not been winning a lot of games over the past month. Now, the Knicks are not just long on games, but are long on money too. The team recently deviated from a set of media rules which the entire league religiously follows. The Knicks have been fined $25,000 for going against the regulations set down by the NBA.
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The New York Knicks organization has been fined $25,000 for violating league rules governing media access by refusing to make Julius Randle available after last night's game vs. Pelicans.
The reason for the fine
The frontman and star player of the team, Julius Randle, has been made unavailable to the media by the organization. Randle has not spoken to the media in eight of the past nine games. This has led to some awkward interactions between the fans and Randle wherein they booed him. He responded by giving them a thumbs-down gesture.
Some additional context: The last time Randle spoke to reporters postgame was the Jan. 6 game when he flashed the thumbs down to the fans, then told reporters later what that meant was for fans to “shut the fuck up.” League then fined him for cursing in a presser.
The Knicks have been fined $25K for their “refusal to make Julius Randle available” to reporters after last night’s game. Randle hasn’t spoken to the media postgame for seven straight games, though reporters have requested him. Last time he did it was Jan. 6.
The Knicks refused any access to Julius Randle after the recent loss to the Pelicans. The Knicks lost by a huge margin of 102-91.
Julius Randle explained the thumbs down gesture by saying that he wanted to tell the home fans to “shut the f–k up“. However, this was not appreciated by the NBA authorities and it was considered a blatant use of profanity at the presser.
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Julius Randle and his season
Randle has had an extremely inconsistent performance this season. Ignoring the media and costing the organization more money is just an added insult to injury. Given his recent antics, it seems as though the fans are turning against the Knicks star player.
The team is sure to lose if none of the home court fans support the team. Randle is not performing well this season, and avoiding the media is another huge issue. The fans demand accountability. Randle set huge expectations for the Knicks when he outperformed everyone last season.
USA Today via Reuters
New York Knicks forward Julius Randle (30) reacts after scoring a basket against the Atlanta Hawks during the second half of game two of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Elsa/POOL PHOTOS-USA TODAY Sports
However, right now Randle’s three-point shooting percentage has fallen, along with his overall shooting percentage. Additionally, his playing style revolves around heavy isolation and tunnel vision, which makes his subpar shooting a huge issue.
Moreover, he even yelled at an official as the first-half buzzer rang. He finished with four points on one-of-nine shooting as the Knicks fell to 22-24, putting them in the lottery if the season ended today.
Do you think Randle is correct in ignoring the media? Let us know in the comments below.