Fans Slam “Soft” Julius Randle for Embarrassing Act in Timberwolves’ Blowout Loss vs. Knicks

“We told him this morning, don’t fit around us, we’ll fit around you.” In the aftermath of the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 2 regular season game, Anthony Edwards revealed what he said to Julius Randle to make him more comfortable with the team. Having been in the NBA for 10 years, and played for 3 different teams in the process, one would assume that the 30-year-old power forward would have gotten used to change. However, each change brings with it new challenges. After being traded to the Timberwolves, it was up to Randle to show that he could deliver. Amidst the highs and lows of this season for the Timberwolves, the veteran has contributed in both. In spite of this, his actions in the aftermath of the recent Timberwolves loss are something that may not be forgotten by fans so easily.

The recent matchup against the New York Knicks marked the first time since the trade that Julius Randle went up against his old team. Karl-Anthony Towns, who was traded in exchange for Randle, marked the first time ever that he went up against the team he called his home for 9 years! Despite the presence of this ‘tension,’ the game was nowhere close to being a ‘close one.’ After all, the New York Knicks took home the win by a score of 133-107. Aka, a 26-point margin! Julius Randle ended up only worsening the situation. After all, reports came out that the player went straight to the locker room after the loss. No handshake with his former teammates, no pleasantries exchanged, nothing. As of now, Randle has not given any reasoning for ignoring the Knicks players like that.

Randle’s actions were a contradiction to how the rest of his teammates were after the game. During a postgame Q&A session, Anthony Edwards even stated that, though the loss stung, he was happy for Karl-Anthony Towns. Meanwhile, nothing from Randle’s side. In light of this, it didn’t take too long for people to start calling the 30-year-old out over his actions. Or, rather, inaction.

How did fans react to Julius Randle refusing to shake hands with former teammates?

One individual replied to the news update, and straight-out said that Randle is just too “soft for that.”

It is important to remember that, just 3 months ago, Julius Randle was traded from the New York Knicks. This was the first time that he and his former team played in a regular season game. Therefore, one cannot fully rule out the existence of something called ‘resentment.’ In fact, during his introductory press conference after the trade, Randle had stated that the trade was “a breath of fresh air.” Why, you may be thinking? Randle answered that, too, when he stated, “You want to be somewhere where you feel wanted. I feel wanted here.” The fact that he lost, and lost big, especially against the New York Knicks, may have been too much for the player to handle.

One social media user criticized Randle by writing “Talk about a sore loser.”

Any long-time Michael Jordan fan, or someone who may have watched The Last Dance, may be able to relate Julius Randle’s actions to the 1990-91 Detroit Pistons squad. After reigning as world champions for two consecutive years, the Pistons failed under a 4-0 sweep by the Jordan-led Chicago Bulls. With 8 seconds remaining in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the majority of the Pistons players walked off without shaking hands or exchanging pleasantries with their rivals. As His Airness gave them the “undeserving champions” title, ‘sour loser’ calls also saw a rise.

Another individual took a shot at the Timberwolves player by commenting, “Randle deserves boos when he returns to msg. Sore losing cry baby (laughing emojis).”

If Randle does receive boos from the attendees at Madison Square Garden, it wouldn’t be a first. After all, before joining the Knicks in 2019, he had played for the Los Angeles Lakers and the New Orleans Pelicans. However, Randle was not immune from boos even when he played for the Knicks!

One prominent example of this was the 2021-22 season. Randle’s performance had seen a major drop, with his average points, rebounds, and assists being lower than what they were the previous season. His three-point percentage had dropped from 41.1% to 30.8%. Therefore, it became common for him to hear boos from Knicks fans itself. As a result, when the player had a good game against the Boston Celtics back in January 2022, he gave a thumbs down to the crowd, even though they were cheering. Angry at being treated wrongly, he sends Knicks fans a message: “Shut the f— up.” Knicks fans haven’t been hesitant in booing Randle before, and they certainly won’t be hesitant even now.

One social media user attempted to find a reason behind Randle not reacting warmly to his teammates. What he came up with was: “He’s ashamed of himself.”

That may very well be a possibility. After all, it may not be easy for an athlete to accept losing a game by a 26-point margin. However, Julius Randle may have also felt that he could have done more. After all, Karl-Anthony Towns took the offensive lead by making another double-double. This time, he scored a whopping 30 points and 20 rebounds in the span of 38 minutes. Meanwhile, Julius Randle could only make 24 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists within 30 minutes. He missed quite a bit on the shooting front. Randle only made 8-17 (47.1%) field goals, 4-8 (50%) three-pointers, and 4-6 (66.7%) free throws. Furthermore, he also received criticism from social media users over his lapses on the defensive front.

One individual did not hold back when he wrote: “Coward SOFT just one more Soft often injuried player to go before our team will feel complete.” Whoever the user is referring to, he is at least glad to have Randle away from the New York Knicks.

Overall, the majority of reactions displayed a negative take on Julius Randle. Until he reacts to the criticism, it will not be known what his true thoughts are regarding ‘snubbing’ his former teammates.