"Terrible teammate": Josh Hart jokingly taunts Julius Randle after Knicks All-Star opts for season-ending surgery 

The New York Knicks suffered a major blow on Thursday following the news that star forward Julius Randle will undergo season-ending right shoulder surgery. Despite the somber mood surrounding the team, Knicks wing Josh Hart seemingly couldn't resist cracking a joke to lighten up New York's locker-room atmosphere.

Randle dislocated his right shoulder with 4:27 remaining in the Knicks' 125-109 home win over the Miami Heat on Jan. 27. He was driving to the basket when Heat rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. attempted to take a charge, causing him to take a hard fall.

Following his injury, Randle spent the past two-plus months relentlessly rehabbing to get healthy by the playoffs. However, he made little progress, with multiple doctors reportedly warning him about the dangers of returning this season, given the instabilities in his shoulder.

An early return could have jeopardized the three-time All-Star's long-term future. Thus, he was left with no choice but to undergo surgery, adding at least five months to his recovery timeline.

On Thursday, Hart was asked if he feels bad for Julius Randle "on a personal level" given his persistent efforts to return coming in vain. The 29-year-old instead threw a curveball, joking that he feels bad for the rest of the Knicks due to Randle getting their hopes up, only to let them down.

"I feel for us because he just kept us in the wind for two months. Terrible teammate, terrible human being," Hart said.

However, Hart followed up with a more serious response, touching on Randle's injury misfortune over the past two seasons. He added that he expects his star teammate to return to playing at an elite level next season.

"As competitors, as hoopers, you never want your season to end on injury," Hart said. "So, we know that's a tough thing for him. Obviously, he wasn't able to end last year fully healthy, and he was playing great and had a great rhythm. So, it definitely was just unfortunate.

"But now, for him, it's just about hitting his rehab strong and getting better this offseason, and he'll come back next year better than he was this year."

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Julius Randle "at peace" with rehab efforts

On Thursday, Julius Randle touched on his decision to undergo surgery. He noted that despite his immense desire to return for his teammates, there was nothing more he could do to improve his situation.

“I believe in this team, and wanted to give it a try,” Randle said. “It didn’t work out, unfortunately. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but it was my only option at this point. It wasn’t getting right. ... "It’s frustrating, but I’m at peace knowing I tried everything.”

The Knicks (45-31) are having their best season winning percentage-wise (.592) since the 2012-13 season (.659). Meanwhile, they added numerous roster reinforcements ahead of the trade deadline, including two-way forward OG Anunoby and sharpshooter Bojan Bogdanovic. Thus, they appeared poised for a deep playoff run.

However, New York has been a middling team without Randle, going just 16-14, in contrast to its 29-17 record with him in the lineup.

So, the star forward's season-ending surgery will likely put a damper on the Knicks' hopes of being a serious threat to win the East. However, perhaps Jalen Brunson and Co. will still be able to grind out a playoff series victory or two, given the underwhelming state of the conference.

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