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Knicks' Julius Randle Fined $25K for 'Egregious Use of Profane Language'
January 8, 2022
The NBA announced Saturday that New York Knicks forward Julius Randle was fined $25,000 for "egregious use of profane language during media interviews."
Randle used colorful language during two interviews earlier this week.
"Really don't give a f--k what anybody has to say, to be honest," Randle told reporters Wednesday. "I'm out there playing. Nobody knows the game out there better than I do, compared to what everybody has to say. So I really don't give a s--t. I just go out there and play."
Then, after he gave a thumbs-down gesture to Knicks fans in Madison Square Garden who were booing during Thursday's win over the Boston Celtics, he said the message was: "Shut the f--k up."
The New York faithful became restless as the Celtics built a 16-point halftime lead and led by as many as 24, but the Knicks stormed back to score a 108-105 win courtesy of an RJ Barrett three at the buzzer.
Evan Fournier led the comeback charge with a game-high 41 points, while Randle chipped in 22 points and eight rebounds as the Knicks improved their record to 19-20 with their fifth win in the past seven games.
"Resilience. It was special for our team," Randle told reporters. "We kept battling. We obviously didn't want to get in a hole, but we found a way to win the game."
The All-Star forward apologized to the
team's fans Friday on Instagram, saying his postgame comments were an "example of how sometimes you say things you regret to people you
love, even if it came from a place of passion and deep love."
Saturday's fine is the largest of Randle's career. He was previously fined $15,000 twice, once in April 2016 for an obscene gesture during a game and again in March 2021 for criticism of officials, per Spotrac. His career fine total stands at $151,000, mostly via minor fines from technical fouls.
The University of Kentucky product signed a four-year, $117.1 million contract extension with the Knicks in August that runs through the 2025-26 season.
The 27-year-old has averaged 19.6 points, 10.1 rebounds and 4.9 assists across 37 appearances this season. It's a dip in production relative to his standout 2020-21 campaign, but he's still the team leader in all three categories.
The Knicks are back in action Saturday night for a rematch with the Celtics (18-21), this time on the road at TD Garden.