Knicks’ fans break out MVP chants for Julius Randle on return to MSG

New York Knicks fans are so enamored with Julius Randle’s breakout season this year that fans broke out an MVP chant in Madison Square Garden.

It’s been a long time since New York Knicks fans had a player they could rally around. That’s changed this year with the career-year turned in by Julius Randle.

Named to the All-Star team on Tuesday night, Randle has been a revelation in his second season since signing with the Knicks as a free agent.

In an offseason when Knicks fans had their sights set on Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and winning the lottery and the rights to draft Zion Williamson, Randle is proving to be worth the price of admission.

Julius Randle showered by Knicks fans with MVP chants

With fans back in Madison Square Garden, Randle was welcomed with MVP chants from the sparse crowd.

Randle has the Knicks in seventh-place in the Eastern Conference with a 15-17 record. It’s a losing record for now but the Knicks would be in the playoffs if the season ended today, so that’s a big positive.

The former Kentucky standout has been sensational, averaging career-best points, rebounds and assists per game. Randle’s averaging 23.3 points per game, 10.8 rebounds and 5.5 assists, dwarfing his previous career-highs. There’s still a long way to go this season, but if Randle can keep up his stellar play, he’ll have the Knicks back in the playoffs and the MVP chants will only grow louder.

He’ll have some stiff competition for the MVP, which Randle would likely admit is a long-shot, and isn’t even at the top of his priorities, but he’s proving to be the rare free agent signing that actually paid off for the Knicks.