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Julius Randle and the Weight of the Crown
The great William Shakespeare in his play King Henry the Fourth coined the now much-quoted phrase “uneasy lies the head that wears the crown”. Many have modified this quote to say “heavy is the head that wears the crown”. Regardless of how it is phrased, the message is still the same. With great responsibility comes great stress. The idea that it is not easy to be the king is why it is not a position for just anyone. There is weight to the crown, a weight of expectation and reliance that must be met.
In the context of the New York Knicks and leading New York’s most popular basketball team, there are expectations and pressures. The basketball culture and love of the game in New York City make the pressure to succeed there that much more magnified. Consider being a hockey player in Toronto and playing for the Maple Leafs. The city has so much history in the sport that playing for the Maple Leafs has added pressure when considering the long championship drought that the franchise has endured. The same feels true for the Knicks and every perceived savior of basketball in Manhattan. Julius Randle is the latest in the line of players to wear the crown and feel its immense weight.
