In his two years with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Julius Randle became somewhat of a polarizing figure among the team’s fan base. His first season saw him finally make noise in the playoffs after never doing so with the New York Knicks.
More and more fans grew unfond of him, though as the 2025–26 regular season wore on, and a subpar postseason left many wanting him gone. Of course, that did happen, as Randle was traded to the Brooklyn Nets this offseason.
Randle returns to the Target Center on November 23, when Brooklyn faces Minnesota. The reaction to Randle during pregame and after tipoff will be interesting to see.
Will he be cheered, booed, or both?
The matchup at Target Center against the Nets will be the last game of an eight-game homestand for the Wolves, easily their longest of the season. They should be fairly large favorites against a Brooklyn team that isn’t expected to be a playoff contender.
Randle will be part of Brooklyn's starting lineup as long as he is available to play. The question is: Will there be booing once Randle’s name is announced to the crowd before the opening tipoff? Will some fans boo him whenever he touches the ball?
In what should be a raucous crowd, I’m sure there will be a scattering of boos. It’s not as though Randle is seen as a traitor who asked to leave, though. His excellent play while mostly guarded by Draymond Green in the playoffs during the second round helped guide Minnesota to the 2025 Western Conference Finals.
Unfortunately for Randle and the Wolves, it was a different story in the 2026 playoffs. He particularly wasn't good in the six-game series loss to the San Antonio Spurs as Randle shot just 34.2 percent from the field and 19 percent from 3-point distance.
There was talk about the team going through its share of moodiness last season, and Randle was viewed as the main culprit. It was easy to point the finger at him due to seemingly poor body language at times. However, he can’t be blamed for all of it.
On November 23, it’s unclear how the fans in Minneapolis will react to Randle’s presence. Taking a look at social media, the Timberwolves fan base mostly has negative things to say about the three-time All-Star. Online reactions don’t always equate to real life, though.
One thing is for sure: Don’t expect it to be like it will be on January 29, when there will be a roaring ovation for Naz Reid in his first game as a visitor at the Target Center, when the Charlotte Hornets come to town.
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