Julius Randle Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Julius Randle has funny comment about infamous ‘thumbs down’ gesture

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated 6/19/23

Julius Randle has been a member of the New York Knicks for four seasons, and he has learned some important lessons about handling expectations in the city along the way.

Randle recently appeared as a guest on Paul George’s “Podcast P,” where he was asked how he copes with the pressure and expectations of playing in New York. The forward amusingly remarked that one thing not to do is to give the crowd a thumbs down.

Not everyone is built for New York, but Julius Randle has embraced it

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— Podcast P with Paul George (@PodcastPShow) June 19, 2023

“First things first, if you want a lesson, don’t do thumbs down. That didn’t work out well for me,” Randle said.

Randle is referencing an incident in which he made the gesture toward booing fans in a January 2022 home game. He had to issue a semi-apology on social media afterward, as the move only invited more criticism.

Randle added that he loves the environment in New York. He still invites questions about his mentality at times, and he has not been particularly outstanding in his two playoff appearances with the team. Still, he at least took the right lesson from the whole thumbs-down incident.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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