The NBA has fined Knicks power forward Julius Randle to the tune of $40K after he used “hostile language” against a referee during a 108-93 home loss to the Jazz, it has announced today (via Twitter).
Fred Katz of The Athletic tweets that this will be Randle’s fifth fine from the NBA this season, totaling $155K in all. Due to being dinged by 11 technical foul penalties as well, Randle has lost another $29K.
That figure should not make much of a dent in Randle’s current $21.8MM salary for this season. Randle inked a lucrative four-year contract extension with the Knicks during the 2021 offseason that will be worth approximately $106MM and $122MM depending on certain incentives.
The Knicks announced (Twitter link) earlier today that Randle is set to miss the club’s contest this evening against the visiting Hawks with a sore right quadriceps tendon. It is unclear if that ailment will sideline him long beyond that.
Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News writes that an absence for Randle will allow second-year power forward Obi Toppin, the eighth pick in the 2020 NBA draft out of Dayton and a Brooklyn native, to get significantly more run time.
Toppin, 24, is currently logging just 14.8 MPG across 61 contests this season for the 30-41 Knicks. Bondy notes that he has shown plenty of promise with his significant foot speed, but has remains a less-than-stellar defender or long-range shooter. Bondy adds that Toppin hasn’t played more than 20 minutes in a game since February.
Today’s a good day for the NBA Commissioner’s Office’s Christmas party
if you’re gonna fine someone at least make it hurt.
Randle is such a diva. The sooner the Knicks can move on from him the better. He’s supposed to be a leader on that team. The only thing he’s shown the younger players is an example of what not to do
40 Grand for being completely honest? This is more like a fine for bumping a ref than telling him he stinks. The Refs in the NBA are totally incompetent thanks to Silver.
Regardless as to the quality of the refereeing in the NBA, act like a leader Randle and stop getting yourself fined or kicked out of games. Congrats on finding a way to act like an adult just long enough to get a big contract. Why the Knicks rushed to re-sign him when they still had a team option after a single proficient season is beyond me.
Actually JR is acting like a leader trying to rally the troops… maybe the rest of the troops just plainly suck, right?
Where’s the dummy who said this headcase would net the NYK two first round picks? Lol
@rct
Excellent contract here to go along with the other disasters given out last offseason.
NBA officiating is superior. Watch an NFL game if you want to see rampant incompetence.