'Come On!': Dwight Howard Invites Knicks' Julius Randle to Play in Taiwan

Dwight Howard called out a list of fallen NBA Playoff stars, including the New York Knicks' All-Star Julius Randle, to join him in Taiwan with their teams eliminated from playoff contention.

If Julius Randle's New York Knicks career is truly over, the first suitor for his services has emerged ... albeit in facetious fashion.

The Knicks' All-Star was one of several fallen NBA Playoff participants called out by eight-time All-Star Dwight Howard, who has brought his interior prowess to Taiwan's T1 League. In a video posted to social media, Howard invites notable names who came up short in their recent postseason runs to play with him in Taiwan, where he's currently repping the Taoyuan Leopards.

"Jordan Poole–come on! Julius Randle–come on!…Ben Simmons–come on man!…Klay you can slide down here too my boy. Deandre Ayton, you & CP3 come on. KD–come on KD!…James Harden come on down here too boy!"

–– Dwight Howard recruiting from Taiwanpic.twitter.com/tzrw2yOhUp

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) May 16, 2023

Randle is the second name mockingly invited by Howard after Golden State's Jordan Poole. Howard tries to make himself stop, but, partly prodded by some friends off-screen, continues to bestow invites to the eliminated. Joining Randle and Poole in Howard-bestowed infamy are Ben Simmons (Brooklyn), Klay Thompson (Golden State), Phoenix Suns teammates Deandre Ayton, Chris Paul, and Kevin Durant, and, finally Philadelphia's James Harden (even if Howard admits that Haden going back to the Houston Rockets would make for an interesting story).

Each player on the list was at the forefront of their team's postseason shortcomings, even if they didn't play (i.e. the injured Simmons). Amateur and professional observers alike have listed Randle among the primary reasons for the Knicks' six-game loss to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, even as he fought off an ankle injury that kept him out of the opening game of the season. 

Though he averaged 18.8 points and 10.2 rebounds in his five appearances against Miami, Randle struggled to the tune of four turnovers a game, including six (and six fouls) in the Game 4 defeat. Randle also shot 3-of-14 from the field in the clinching defeat, one that denied the Knicks their first appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals since 2000. With Jalen Brunson effectively having taken over the role of the Knicks' franchise face, some have called for the team to part ways with Randle despite the 28-year-old returning to All-Star form and helping the Knicks wrap up the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference, allowing them to earn their best win total (47) and first playoff appearance in a decade.

In the extraordinarily unlikely event that Randle would accept Howard's offer, he'd certainly find himself in a strong situation by international standards. Howard, one of the more lauded stars of the NBA's new-century affairs, earned the T1 League's "Most Valuable Import" award after leading all participants in rebounding during the 2022-23 season. Howard, 37, previously partook in 18 NBA seasons after he was the Orlando Magic's first overall pick in the 2004 draft, earning five All-NBA First Team nominations and three Defensive Player of the Year Awards. 

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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