The NY Knicks have seen several icons wear blue and orange over the years. Walt Frazier, Carmelo Anthony, Willis Reed, Patrick Erwing, and many others are a few of them. However, the squad hasn’t had a superstar legend capable of leading them in a few years. Notably, the squad hasn’t advanced past the first round of the playoffs in more than 20 years. But seven years later, the franchise appears to have found its icon—Ben Stiller, a diehard Knicks fan, says the player is on par with LeBron James and Kevin Durant.
The icon is none other than Julius Randle. In his five-season presence with the Knicks, the 29-year-old big man took the Knicks to their first back-to-back Conference semi-final appearance since the 2000 playoffs. Truly a guiding light for the Big Apple fans. And Ben Stiller, who recently shared a stage with the Knicks players, made sure that they heard the fans cry.
The 58-year-old actor stated, “The Knicks have been without an identity for so long,” while seated on a platform with Josh Hart, Jalen Brunson, and another ardent Knicks fan, Spike Lee.”We’ve been waiting for this special player, this someone who’s going to come down from the mountaintop and save the Knicks,” Stiller went on.The famous actor had the audience booing for a specific cause as he built up the suspense and revealed Julius Randle’s name.
The audience began to boo a little louder as Ben Stiller continued, “It was always some marquee player or some sort of dream-like LeBron or Kevin Durant,” allowing the MSG to briefly come into view. But as soon as he said, “So there’s a lot of pain over the years for Knicks fans, waiting when is it gonna happen and the way this has happened, really starting with Julius Randle,” the audience erupted in applause. That’s when he immediately gained them back.
It’s the suffering caused by lacking an icon or identity. Carmelo Anthony was the last big star of this illustrious team. Following a seven-year tenure with the Knicks from 2010–11 to 2016–17, Melo enjoyed an incredible run with the New York team. He scored a season-high 28.7 points while averaging 24.7 points for the Knicks.
But even with his outstanding play, the team’s postseason result was lackluster. The squad made it to the playoffs three times in the seven seasons, but they only prevailed in one series—against the Boston Celtics in 2013. However, with the new roster and Tom Thibodeau as coach, things might change.
Due to a shoulder injury, Julius Randle missed the most of the team’s previous season. Even yet, with the support of tenacious players like Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, and Jalen Brunson, the squad was able to make a difference. The franchise has signed Mikal Bridges going into the 2024–25 campaign, and with Randle available, the Knicks might pose a serious challenge in the Eastern Conference. Will this season see the Knicks make it to the Finals? Tell us in the comments section below.
