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Former Knicks All-Star opens up about ‘darkest moment’ while in New York

Originally posted on Empire Sports Media
By Dylan Backer | Last updated Sep 26, 2025 11:38 AM ET

Former New York Knicks All-Star and current Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle had a career resurgence while in New York. After being mostly a starting-level player through the early part of his career, he transformed into an All-NBA player upon joining the Knicks.

He not only stepped up individually, but he also helped turn around a Knicks franchise that looked to be stuck in the mud. After five great seasons with them, he was traded to the Timberwolves in exchange for Karl-Anthony Towns.

Former Knick Julius Randle opens up about mental health struggles

Randle opened up about the trade and reflected on his time in New York in an interview with The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski. He talked about how his mental health deteriorated after injuries and bad narratives surrounded him.

“At the end of that time, I was kind of at my darkest moment. Just miserable, like in a way where I just was not having fun going to work every single day. I would just be in there watching TV in a dark room. I didn’t even want to show my face. I kind of just wanted to be left alone and, like, in hiding. Just very frustrated and angry and all those different emotions. It just wasn’t a good place to be in,” Randle said.

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Despite the success Randle had with the Knicks, fans were not afraid to express criticism towards his poor play. Given that Randle was suddenly expected to lead the charge entirely, the pressure was on for him to deliver in the biggest moments.

Instead, Randle struggled mightily in the two playoff runs he had with the Knicks (he missed the 2024 playoffs with a shoulder injury). Those struggles led to fans bashing him, and it had an effect on his on-court play.

Randle is happier playing in Minnesota

Randle’s wife, Kendra, noted that upon being traded, she noticed Julius start to enjoy playing again and found more joy playing with the Timberwolves.

“I did notice how much it affected him,” Kendra said. “So I was happy to see him get to a place where he could breathe and have fun playing again because I feel like it kind of took his joy a little bit, all of that chaos there.”

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Randle had a strong first season in Minnesota. He became a crucial part of the successful season they had, and he finally snapped the playoff dropper narrative with a very strong stretch of play in the postseason.

His contributions led the Timberwolves to their second straight Western Conference Finals appearance, and the aspirations continue to be high with a star duo in Randle and Anthony Edwards.

While the Knicks are still in great shape despite moving on from Randle, the hope was that he would eventually become an all-time franchise player in New York who would be a part of the championship core. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, but he has found his joy again playing in Minnesota.

This article first appeared on Empire Sports Media and was syndicated with permission.

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