"I didn't even want to show my face" - Julius Randle describes how lost he felt at the end of his Knicks tenure

Julius Randle‘s final days in New York were tougher than many know. Randle seemed to have found his NBA home with the New York Knicks, where he developed into an All-Star and All-NBA caliber superstar. But the arrival of Jalen Brunson changed the picture in the Big Apple.

Randle transitioned from a franchise player to a star who struggled to find his fit within the team. He got injured, and the team found success despite his absence. The former Wildcat suffered from depression, and his game struggled. That ultimately led to an unceremonious exit in 2024.

“You know how New York is, man. You’re under a different microscope,” Randle said, looking back. “So it’s like, you’re not just battling and trying to win. It seems like you’re battling a million different things.

Randle felt isolated

Julius arrived in New York at a time when the Knicks were looking for the next star and he became that guy for them. In his second season with the Knicks, he had a career year, winning Most Improved Player honors, while making the All-Star and All-NBA second team.

But Brunson arrived in 2022 and became the focus of the Knicks’ offense. Randle started to feel left behind. Suddenly, he started hearing trade rumors. Meanwhile, JB continued to flourish. And when Julius missed the 2024 playoffs with an injury, Brunson emerged as the new “man” on the team, leaving Julius feeling more out of place.

“At the end of that time, I was kind of at my darkest moment,” he added. “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.”

A fresh start, a new home

On October 2, 2024, the Knicks swung a blockbuster trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves. They acquired Karl-Anthony Towns from Minnesota, sending Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to the Wolves.

For Randle, it was a fresh start. But after what happened in New York, he was unsure how long he’d stay in Minnesota, so when they moved into their new home, Julius left a lot of boxes unopened, just in case. But after the Wolves made the WCF again last season, he’s happy where he is.

“This feels like home,” continued Julius. “Now it just feels very settled. I would say even this summer and leading up to the season is probably the happiest I’ve been in a really long time as far as just career, family, everything.”

Although Julius’ 18.7 points and 7.1 rebounds average last season were his lowest since his Lakers days, the Wolves signed him to a 3-year $100 million extension that will see him stay in the Twin Cities through the 2027-28 NBA season.

Of course, there are no guarantees, just as it was in New York. However, with Randle enjoying his time in Minnesota and the Timberwolves happy with his performance, that’s all that really matters.

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 27, 2025, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

“I didn’t even want to show my face” – Julius Randle describes how lost he felt at the end of his Knicks tenure

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