On the 21st of June, Dallas Mavericks drafted Trae Young, only to trade him for the equally talented Luka Doncic. It won’t be wrong to say that Trae Young’s career will definitely draw parallels with Luka Doncic, especially this season considering the trade that has done well for both teams.
While Luka took the role of a magician, Young decided to take on the role of being a villain in the NBA. In the 2021 NBA playoffs, Trae Young has been a superstar for the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks have reached the Eastern Conference Finals and Young has fought through hate and put up some incredible skills to guide them there. Young’s stats this season have been amazing and the 22-year will look to continue the same momentum going forward.
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Trae Young’s High School Dagger 3: The Rise Of A Villain
In 2017, Trae Young was playing a high school basketball game against Norman High School. During the game, the crowd kept yelling ‘overrated’ at Trae. However, Young decided to freeze and silent the spectators with a wonderful nutmeg and a step back-dagger 3. Right after the shot, Trae Had his first-ever mic drop moment when he bowed to say that this was his court.
The Hawks star has been on a roll and never fails to answer his critics in the best possible manner. Even in the ongoing playoffs, the 22-year old has found himself under severe scrutiny from fans and peers alike. However, Trae Young has not let these criticisms stray him away from his game, which continues to be an answer for all the fans speaking against him.
@TheTraeYoung closes out Norman High with style tonight #TakeABow #sick pic.twitter.com/2GyuBlO0Iw
— Dave Harrington (@TVSportseyeguy) February 4, 2017
Trae Young shuts down Madison Square Garden
The first round of the Eastern Conference saw the Atlanta Hawks go up against the New York Knicks inside Madison Square Garden. Once again, Young did not receive a lot of love from the fans who taunted the 22-year old with unwelcomed chants. ‘F***k Trae Young’ echoed in the arena. One of them was about Trae Young’s hairline.
Needless to say, Trae Young’s hair has grabbed the attention of fans around the world, with many fans speculating that the 22-year old is balding. Young’s handles may be flashy and sleek but his hairline? That could be fixed. While fans going against the key players of the opposition is common, it certainly crossed the line when one fan spat on Young. Needless to say, the particular fan was disbarred from entering Madison Square Garden for the rest of his life, with Young sharing his afterthoughts on the entire incident.
“I have no problem with the fans and what theyâve been saying and things like that, itâs a part of it. Itâs basketball. I enjoy it, I love it. Iâm not mad at the fans who chant things or whatever. Thatâs for another subject.”
âBut for spitting and things like that, thatâs uncalled for in any arena or any environment. Thatâs disgusting.â
Damn… Crazy ! @50cent yâall good?!
đđđ https://t.co/p8jSbwyozT— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) May 27, 2021
Just like how villains let their actions speak for them, Ice Trae was cold and decided to freeze every negative energy coming towards him at Madison Square. After the game-winner, Trae was talking back.
It got real quiet in the end, and for me, I want to hear those F-you chants again
No one can forget the Mic Drop moment when Young took a remarkable three that sent the Knicks home. The highlight of that moment was not the shot but the celebration that followed.
TRAE YOUNG TAKES A BOW IN MSG AFTER ELIMINATING KNICKS. đżđ pic.twitter.com/L6i5A0S65H
— House of Highlights (@HoHighlights) June 3, 2021
An anti-hero with moves: A look at Ice Trae’s shimmy against Milwaukee Bucks
Young has been in a mood this playoff season. In the first game of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Hawks were up against the Bucks. Ice Trae did not hesitate to quite literally freeze Jrue Holiday with a flashy move. The cherry on the top came when he stepped back for a three and before shooting he took the time to taunt the Bucks with a shimmy.
TRAE SHIMMIED ON EM BEFORE HITTING THE 3 đ€Ł
(via @cjzero)pic.twitter.com/vQyCgf88uR
— Yahoo Sports NBA (@YahooSportsNBA) June 24, 2021
Young also pulled a spectacular off-the-glass lob pass to Collins for an alley-hoop. Needless to say, Trae has zero fear in his head and is currently so cold that defenders freeze the second Trae approaches.
TRAE OFF THE GLASS LOB TO COLLINS đ±#ECFonTNT pic.twitter.com/Xf4vKDZkg0
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) June 24, 2021
Even the Greek Freak, Giannis noticed the shimmy and spoke about it to his teammates during a time-out. Giannis was not pleased with Trae’s shenanigans. But Young got the last laugh, with Hawks taking the first game in the ECF.
Giannis told his teammates about the Trae Young shimmy đŁ pic.twitter.com/jpFMPewxE1
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 24, 2021
Ice Trae 1: A villain needs the perfect gear
Young has had the perfect handles, the perfect shots, and crowd-freezing, mic drop moments. The best part about all this is Young makes sure he has gear that makes him look good while destroying the hopes of a ring for his opponents.
This year during the playoffs, Young showed the world his first-ever signature shoe. He collaborated with Adidas to release Ice Trae 1. Trae debuted the shoe when he started his playoff campaign against the Knick. The shoe is set to drop later this year. The shoe matches Young’s villain persona. It has a light blue, white, and red color combination and gives a freezing cold vibe.
Yeah , yeah… they got leaked.đ€Łâïž
âIce Traeâ Edition Coming Soon! #TY1 @adidasHoops pic.twitter.com/nuN8fjL1Rk
— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) June 15, 2021
Is Young going to be one of the greatest point guards in the NBA?
Trae Young has proved to the NBA that he deserves every moment he spends in the league. He has a perfect mixture of style, skill, and class in his game. While many fans say that it is too early to be comparing Young to someone like Curry, some people have different opinions.
Trae Young is showing me more in bigger moments than Luka has managed to even get to. The Hawks feed off Trae's spark and swag in ways I don't think the Mavericks feed off Luka. More @Undisputed, now on FS1 https://t.co/or7YcbKTyP
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) June 24, 2021
Max Kellerman for instance thinks that Young is better than Curry in the Playoffs. Kellerman received a lot of backlash for this statement. However, he sticks by what he feels is the right answer to the comparison.
.@maxkellerman believes Trae Young has a higher ceiling in the playoffs than Steph Curry đł
"[Trae is] fearless under pressure. Steph is careless under pressure." pic.twitter.com/NCb8svxZul
— First Take (@FirstTake) June 24, 2021
Only time will tell what lies ahead for Trae Young. However, as it stands today, the 22-year old has certainly grabbed some eyeballs and continues to play a key role in the Hawks’ historic run this season that has seen them reach the Conference Finals for the first time since 2015.
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