Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young has fully assumed the role of villain for the New York Knicks, especially when playing on the court at Madison Square Garden.
Two seasons ago, Young tortured the surprising fourth-seeded Knicks in the playoffs, and the Hawks defeated them in five games to advance. Young was the game’s leading scorer in every Hawks win.
Fans even chanted “f — Trae Young” at the Garden, which never fazed the Oklahoma product. He just bowed to the crowd on multiple occasions and kept going as he sent the Knicks packing up.
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The sneakers worn by Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks before a game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden in New York City on December 7, 2022.
(Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
Recognizing that villain status, Young decided to have a little fun in his sneakers before the Hawks’ first visit to MSG to face the Knicks this season.
The Hawks’ colors are red, yellow and black. Young’s shoes were blue and orange, the colors of the Knicks.
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But the trolling didn’t stop there. Images of the sneakers featured the phrase “King of Broadway” on the back of the shoes.
It’s a simple game from Young, who scored 45 points in his return to MSG last season with the Hawks. It was his first game since the playoff meeting, and fans were still booing toward him. But Young seems to feed on the negative energy.
The sneakers worn by Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks before a game against the New York Knicks on December 7, 2022 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
(Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
Speaking of negative energy, Young had a falling out with his head coach, Nate McMillan, over the weekend and missed the Hawks’ win over the Denver Nuggets. McMillan reportedly gave Young two options when the All-Star missed shooting practice last Friday because he wanted to work on his shoulder, saying he would either come off the bench against Denver or skip the game.
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Young chose the latter option.
Young, however, played against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday, scoring 23 points on 6-of-19 shooting from the field in 36 minutes.
Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks sits on the sidelines before a game against the New York Knicks on December 7, 2022 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
(Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
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In 14 career games against the Knicks before Wednesday, Young is averaging 27.9 points on 42.4% shooting and 9.2 rebounds.
