Julius Randle did everything he could to return to the New York Knicks lineup this season, but he couldn't risk permanent damage to his shoulder. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the star forward would undergo season-ending surgery, but Randle's expected to be ready in time for 2024-25.
The 29-year-old averaged 24 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game before getting injured, shooting 47.2% from the field. The 46 games Randle played in were enough to land him his third All-Star honor.
He dislocated his shoulder against the Heat on Jan. 27 and hasn't played since then, so he's had time to process the injury. Randle pushed to avoid surgery, but it wasn't avoidable. As disappointed as he likely is, Randle posted on Instagram soon after Woj's report.
Julius Randle on Instagram:
— Daily Knicks (@DailyKnicksFS) April 4, 2024
The journey is the journey. Just keep going. It is what you think it is 🙏🏿🖤 pic.twitter.com/kOsKGYm1hi
Julius Randle staying positive after season-ending surgery news
Maybe Randle's had enough time to process his season-ending surgery. Maybe his spirits are down, but he's trying to stay positive. Or maybe soon after the injury happened, he already accepted that he may have to undergo surgery.
Randle has had his ups and downs since signing with New York as a free agent in 2019. He chose the Knicks when other players who won't be named (cough cough) didn't want to deal with the pressure of playing for the organization. It's a move that paid off for him.
Randle led the team back to the playoffs, won the NBA's Most Improved Player award, is a three-time All-Star, and has made an All-NBA team twice — all in New York. He's dealt with a lot of outside noise but found a way to tune it out to become one of the top players in the league.
He's as tough off the court as he is on it, so it isn't surprising that Randle's already looking ahead post-surgery. It might be cliche, but the bounce back is always stronger than the setback. Those words couldn't be more true for Randle.