Not only fans feel the sting, but also voices in sports media, with Stephen A. Smith vocalizing his disappointment over Randle’s absence. Smith, known for not mincing his words, highlighted Randle’s importance to the team’s structure and how much his presence will be missed in the crucial stages of the season.
The ESPN personality and lifelong Knicks fan was devastated by the news of Julius Randle’s season-ending shoulder surgery, which broke live during First Take on Thursday morning. Randle had spent the last two months rehabbing his injured shoulder with hopes of avoiding surgery and being able to return before the end of the regular season in time to ramp up for the playoff run. Instead, he will undergo the surgery that he was trying to avoid and will miss the rest of the year, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Randle was enjoying another spectacular regular season for the Knicks prior to the shoulder injury. In 46 games, Randle averaged 24.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 5.0 assists on 47.2% shooting from the floor and 31.1% shooting from three. With seven regular-season games remaining, the Knicks reside in fifth place in the East at 44-31 on the season⁴.
An emotional Stephen A. Smith responds to the news that Knicks forward Julius Randle is out for the remainder of the season. pic.twitter.com/Qzm7FaxdWi
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 4, 2024
