SALT LAKE CITY – Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said the computer altercation between Julius Randle and assistant coach/video coordinator Scott King against the Lakers on Saturday has been “resolved’’ and “taken care of.’’
The incident against the Lakers was caught on video by a fan and posted on social media where it caused a stir because of Randle’s recent emotional behavior.
During a timeout, King came up to Randle in the huddle with his laptop and Randle slapped at the screen and started jawing angrily at him.
Assistant coaches Kenny Payne and Johnnie Bryant separated the two. King was likely showing him a defensive lapse against the Lakers in a game the Knicks ultimately lost in overtime after blowing a 21-point lead.
“When you have competitive people, you’re gonna have stuff like that,’’ Thibodeau said. “That’s normal. Every team has it. It’s competitive people, heat of the moment. They’re good. They’ve got a great relationship. Everyone is trying to win. So, it’s all part of it.’’
It is unusual for a coach to bring the laptop into the NBA huddle to show video. Usually a coach will just tell the player tidbits. Thibodeau said the computers, though, are taking over.
In addition, the way Randle carried on for several seconds illustrated his recent temper that has been seen with referees. He picked up two technicals vs. Memphis last week leading to an automatic ejection in the final seconds. Randle also staged a recent media boycott and the NBA fined the Knicks $25,000. Randle did not talk to beat writers after the morning shootaround in Utah on Monday.
The NBA trade deadline is Thursday and Randle reacted combatively when this reporter asked him Friday his reaction to rumors the Knicks are open to a deal.
Asked if it was unusual for a computer to be brought to Randle like that, Thibodeau said, “(Computers), that’s the modern NBA. Hey look, the technology has been great. To be able to look at plays — we see it more in football because there’s a break in play — but when guys come out or timeouts, you always have that interaction. And often times, the player wants to see it. It might be how he’s being defended. It’s might be a situation that occurred. It’s very helpful. It was heat of the moment. It’s normal stuff.
“There’s a lot of interactions over the course of the season. There’s heat of the moment. There’s competition. There’s competitive people involved. And then there’s great respect for Julius, the coaches, so it’s normal. You fix it. Immediately, it was taken care of.’’
Randle failed to earn his second All-Star berth last week and has looked off with his body language during losses. The Post reported Thibodeau has had trouble getting Randle to play with the same selflessness he showed last season.
There’s been other videos on social media showing Randle not helping up teammates who have fallen to the ground. Against the Clippers two weeks ago, Randle strolled away from the huddle to talk to his wife Kendra sitting behind the baseline.