Julius Randle advises Karl-Anthony Towns of the New York Knicks

Sunday's preseason game between the New York Knicks and the Minnesota Timberwolves was not just a show, but a changing of the guard of sorts.

Those gathered at Madison Square Garden had the opportunity to say farewell to Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, who now represent Minnesota following a blockbuster trade that sent Karl-Anthony Towns to Manhattan. Randle and DiVincenzo were the headliners of a massive package sent to Minneapolis to acquire Towns' services after playing key roles in the Knicks' most successful season in over a decade.

Randle was still recovering from a shoulder injury suffered at MSG Hardwood in January and did not play Sunday. He was one of thousands who witnessed Towns' fortuitous double-double as his do-it-all replacement in the post department scored 16 points and rebounds in the Knicks' 115-110 win.

Aware that Manhattan's harshest critics walk through MSG's turnstiles every night, Randle gave Towns some advice on how to stay in good hands.

“Just think about basketball,” Randle said, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “Just stay tight-lipped. Stay in the moment. “This place has a tendency to make things bigger than they may seem at the time.”

The trade for Towns ended Randle's rollercoaster time in New York, during which he endured some veteran growing pains before establishing himself as an unquestionable NBA star: He represented the Knicks in three All-Star Games and two more All-Star Games. NBA teams, averaging 22.6 points and 9.9 rebounds during his half-decade in New York.

Despite the wave of emotions that swept through Sunday's game, Randle wasn't particularly keen on waxing poetic: He focused on his “unfinished business” in Minnesota (presumably the lack of a championship and a long-term contract) and said he have done it, the reaction would be “let (fans) decide” when he finally takes the floor as an opponent.

But even with a heightened vision of the Midwest, Randle couldn't resist basking in MSG's aura one last time.

“I’m really happy and excited and blessed. I still have unfinished business here. And that’s what I want to focus on,” Randle said, according to Bondy. “…(But) this place, it was a blessing to be able to play here every night.”

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