New York Knicks forward Julius Randle is currently experiencing a love/hate relationship with Knick fans. Madison Square Garden’s most loyal wasn’t pleased with Randle’s antics during a home win against the Boston Celtics, in which Randle signaled a “thumbs down” towards the MSG fans after a tough bucket. During a recent Knicks road victory against the Atlanta Hawks, Randle delivered another thumbs down gesture, however this time it was directed towards Hawks fans. Knick fans enjoyed every second of that moment in Atlanta.

Knicks Decided to Make Julius Randle Unavailable to Media After Loss to New Orleans Pelicans

The negativity from Knick fans is taking a toll on Julius Randle just like what it did to Patrick Ewing. Pressure bust pipes and eventually Ewing was no longer a Knick by the end of his playing career. Will the same happen to Julius Randle? Do Knick fans put extreme negativity on players when things don’t go well to the point where a player under pressure begin to reevaluate his decision to even play for the Knicks? Was Gilbert Arenas correct in his statement about New York Knicks fans? Is there a negative sentiment amongst players around the league regarding the negativity of Knick fans? Josh Hart felt Knick fans helped the Pelicans recently during their road victory inside MSG. Former NBA player Gilbert Arenas also stated the Knicks biggest rival is its fans itself.

During the loss against the Pelicans in which New Orleans backup point guard and Christ The King High School (NY) alumni Jose Alvarado put on a show in front of family and friends at MSG, Julius Randle was frustrated after a no call against him as he missed a layup due to contact. Referee ignored it and Randle went ballistic, embarrassing himself and his teammate Fournier who made an effort to cool Randle down. Optics did not look good for Randle in that moment of pure emotion and displeasure which was strictly for the referee calling the game inconsistently.

Randle Clarifies Unavailability for Media.

Julius Randle clarified his unavailability for the media by letting it be known it wasn’t his decision and he can only do what he’s allowed to do as a player. New York Knicks practiced damage control by keeping Randle low key and many fans are taking Randle’s absence from the media out of context. Dolan and the Knicks understand a battle against the fans is never a good battle, therefore the Knicks ate a $25,000 fine in an attempt to hopefully cool things down between Knicks fans and Julius Randle.

Decades of Losing Has Hardened Knicks Fans Beyond Understanding.

Two championships for one of the most lucrative franchises in sports. With both championships coming in the early 1970’s, many Knick fans don’t recall and can’t relate due to the entirely different era in which many fans were simply not a part of due to age. There is always the “same ole Knicks” narrative in the mind of Knicks fans once losses begin to pile up. Extreme hurt and negativity spill from fans and media unto the players. This results in the organization hiding it’s star player from the media after a poor performance. New York City is a pressure cooker when it comes to its Knicks, it always has been and will continue to play-out the same way. It’s all passion however. Knick fan passion has always been a two edged sword. Winning shows how awesome Knick fans are. Often in MSG, opposing coaches call timely timeouts while ahead just to keep the fans from being a part of the game. Knick fans are literally a sixth man whenever they want to encourage their home team. A raucous MSG crowd can be an opponents worst nightmare.

Julius Randle’s Passion For Winning Combined With Knick Fans Passion Could Cause Tension Occasionally.

Is Julius Randle being misunderstood by Knick fans? Are Knick fans being misunderstood by Julius Randle? Passion can cloud things and that’s certainly what’s happening at the moment between the Knicks and its fans. Negative narrative sells and the New York media is all for it. However, winning does phenomenal things for the City as well. Overall, the formula is simple for the Knicks and its about how to win games and make the playoffs.