Ever since the 2021 NBA playoffs, Trae Young has been the target of animosity from Knicks supporters. In the opening round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, Young led Atlanta to a spectacular victory over New York. The Hawks were the opponents. Madison Square Garden has been echoing the iconic “F**k Trae Young” shouts ever since.
Young laughed uncontrollably when questioned about his feelings regarding the hostility, finding the whole thing funny. When Trae recently came on Podcast P with Paul George, the presenter spoke about what he thought Clipper Nation would think of him returning to Los Angeles. And this is what the All-Star guard said when he asked Young about the disdain that Knicks fans have for the team. He said,
“Oh, super funny. That sh*t is hilarious. I’ll never forget this young little girl, like 10, if I had to guess maybe 10 to 12, giving me the finger, like, right behind the scorer’s table. And I’m looking at her dad. I don’t say nothing to her, I just look at her dad and I’m like, ‘That’s cool.’”
Trae Young and his perfromance against Knicks
In the opening round, Young and the Hawks easily defeated the New York Knicks. With Atlanta moving on to the second round and Young bowing in front of the MSG fans, the series finished 4-1.
He can still recall events from that series, though. Observing a small child give him the finger when her father was standing right by her, for example. Young was taken aback by her father’s acceptance of such behavior, but he kept it to himself and dismissed it with a smile.
“There’s a lot of photos of me looking in the crowd just smiling. That’s like, kinda my reactions, like, I’m just looking at the reactions of like, all these people just flipping me off.”
One position ahead of the Hawks in the Eastern Conference, the Knicks finished fourth. A lot of people thought the Knicks would easily defeat Atlanta. That wasn’t the case, though. NY rebounded in Game 2 after dropping the first game.
Fans flocked to The Big Apple, anticipating the Knicks to return to their heyday. Expectations were high. Sadly for supporters of the Knicks, Trae and the Hawks had other plans.
Young had a key role in his team’s easy five-game victory against the Knicks, which sent them to the Eastern Conference Semifinals where they will face the Philadelphia 76ers. The remainder became history.
