There were good vibes at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, as Knicks fans gave Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett a warm welcome upon their return to New York as the Raptors, then watched stars Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle lead the home team towards a dominant 126-100. victory. After the game, Brunson and Randle both talked about how much they enjoyed playing with Quickley and Barrett, who said he appreciated the reception he received from Knicks fans.
“I love those two. Being teammates with them the last two years has been special,” Brunson said of Barrett and Quickley, according to Peter Botte of the New York Post. “Great characters, guys. They both work really hard. Everything you want in a player in franchise. Toronto has a couple of good guys over there. I wish them nothing but the best.”
“Those guys are special talents,” Randle added, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN. “It’s a special relationship I’ve built with them. I know they talk about how much I meant to them, but they mean a lot to me, to be honest. Talking about leadership, how I behave, how to be open, how to be honest, how to be motivated: these are things that I haven’t necessarily said verbally. I always wanted to lead by example, play hard every night. But those guys with me brought out a different side of me. … The relationship I have with them is extremely special.”