Julius Randle joined the New York Knicks after Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving spurned the Manhattan-based franchise for the Brooklyn Nets in 2019.
The Knicks were a major laughingstock at the time, even becoming the butt of a joke in a Pixar movie.
Randle was seen as a promising young player, but didn't possess nearly the upside of Durant and Irving.
However, Randle developed into an All-NBA caliber forward with the Knicks, helping them get back to becoming a playoff fixture.
Because of how Randle helped the Knicks turn things around, some fans may want to give him at least some credit for their recent championship. However, Randle isn't quite on board with that idea.
"Ah no I appreciate that," Randle said. "What the organization accomplished is great. Been a long time coming. Took a lot of hard years, a lot of different players, to build it up to what it was. It's amazing. Definitely look forward to creating that in Brooklyn."
Just days before training camp began in September 2024, the Knicks surprisingly traded Randle and fan favorite Donte DiVincenzo to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Karl-Anthony Towns, a move that broke the hearts of many Knicks fans.
However, Towns, a Piscataway, NJ native and Knicks fan growing up, quickly won over their hearts with his All-NBA style of play and adaptability, which helped the Knicks get over the hump.
Randle is still widely well regarded among Knicks fans, but of course Randle seems to be fully bought into what the Nets are trying to accomplish and hopes he can create the same dynamic he left across the bridge.
Randle helped hold things down as best as he could in Minnesota, but he doesn't provide the same floor spacing and all-around versatility that Towns provides on both ends of the floor.
However, Randle has a chance to reemerge as a top option alongside Michael Porter Jr. this season, as both should get busy on plenty of pick-and-roll actions.
Randle's playmaking skills should help create open looks for MPJ, Egor Dmin and Mikel Brown Jr., but most importantly, he'll bring a veteran voice the Nets' locker room was sorely missing last season.
Going from a rebuilding team to a championship contender is a long, arduous process, but Randle has proven he can help contribute to that in the past, and the Nets hope he can do the same thing this time around.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/nets/onsi as Nets' Julius Randle Takes No Credit for Knicks' Championship .
