Trae Young
Rayford Trae Young (born September 19, 1998)[1] is an American professional basketball player for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA).[2] He played college basketball for the Oklahoma Sooners.[3] In 2017, he tied the then-record in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I single-game assists with 22.[a] Young became the only player to ever lead the NCAA in both points and assists in a single season.[5] Nicknamed "Ice Trae",[6][7] he was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2018 NBA draft with the fifth pick, and later traded to the Atlanta Hawks, along with a future first-round pick, for the draft rights to Luka Dončić. He joined Dončić in a unanimous selection to the 2019 NBA All-Rookie First Team.[8] He is a three-time NBA All-Star, and has led the Hawks to three playoff runs, including a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021.
Early life
Born in Lubbock, Texas, Trae is the son of Candice and Rayford Young, who played basketball at Texas Tech and professionally in Europe.[9][10] He has a younger brother and two younger sisters. Young also has an uncle who played college basketball in the NAIA.[11] Trae was raised in Pampa, Texas, by his mother and paternal grandparents, as his father played basketball overseas.
College career
At the start of the 2017 season, on November 12, Young recorded 15 points, 10 assists, and six rebounds in a win over the Omaha Mavericks. Three days after his college debut, he recorded 22 points and a then season-high 13 assists in a win over the Ball State Cardinals. On November 26, Young recorded a season-high 43 points and seven assists in a 90–80 win over the Oregon Ducks. That game had his name draw multiple comparisons to Stephen Curry in terms of his playing style.[18][19] On December 19, Young tied (with three others) the then-NCAA single-game assists record with 22, while also recording 26 points in a 105–68 win against the Northwestern State Demons.[20] Throughout the season, Young rose from being a late first-round or a second-round pick to being a potential top-three pick for the 2018 NBA draft.[21][22][23] He also garnered praise from both LeBron James and Stephen Curry for his season with Oklahoma.[24] Young, however, ran into a rough patch when the West Virginia Mountaineers' Press Virginia defense forced him into eight turnovers on January 5, 2018. Furthermore, his individual defense has been rated as "poor".[25] However, Young would recover with a season-high 43 points and 11 rebounds with seven assists in a 102–97 overtime win over the TCU Horned Frogs a week later on January 13. Three days later, Young would wind up with a season-high 12 turnovers in a loss to the Kansas State Wildcats, which surpassed his previous season-high a few weeks ago. On January 20, Young recorded a new career-high 48 points (albeit on 14-on-39 overall shooting) in a close 83–81 overtime loss to the rival Oklahoma State Cowboys. He recovered from that with a 26-point (on 7-on-9 shooting) and nine-assist effort in an 85–80 win over the fifth-ranked Kansas Jayhawks on January 23.
Young finished his freshman regular season leading the country in many statistics: assists (271), points (848), points per game (27.4), assists per game (8.7), and assist percentage (48.6%). The 848 points scored in the Big 12 would break the conference's record for most points scored by a freshman player, which was previously held by Kevin Durant and Michael Beasley. On March 7, 2018, Young was announced as the winner of the Wayman Tisdale Award for National Freshman of the Year by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA).[26] At the end of the regular season for Oklahoma, Young was also named Big 12's Freshman of the Year and was a member of the All-Big 12's First Team.[27] In addition, he was also brought up as a consensus member of the All-American First Team, which was named throughout multiple organizations. Young also joined 2018's top two selections Deandre Ayton and Marvin Bagley III as the first consensus All-American First-Team to have three freshman players be named there. On March 15, Young recorded 28 points, seven assists, and five rebounds in an 83–78 overtime loss to the seventh-seeded Rhode Island Rams. He became the second freshman to record similar numbers of points in an NCAA Tournament game, with Chris Paul being the first player back in 2004.[28]
Following Oklahoma's loss in the 2018 NCAA men's basketball tournament, Young announced his intention to forgo his final three seasons of collegiate eligibility and declare for the 2018 NBA draft.
Professional career
Atlanta Hawks (2018–present)
2018–19 season: All-Rookie honors
On June 21, 2018, Young was selected with the fifth overall pick by his hometown team the Dallas Mavericks in the 2018 NBA draft, but was traded to the Atlanta Hawks, along with a protected future first round pick in exchange for the rights to the third overall pick Luka Dončić.[30] On July 1, 2018, Young officially signed with the Hawks.[31] On October 21, in the Hawks' third game of the season, Young finished with a season-high 35 points and 11 assists in a 133–111 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.[32] On November 19, Young finished with a then career-high 17 assists, 25 points and three rebounds in a 127–119 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.[33] On February 25, 2019, Young scored a then career-high 36 points and made career high eight three-pointers in a 119–111 loss to the Houston Rockets.[34] On February 27, Young recorded 36 points and 10 assists in a 131–123 overtime win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.[35] He then surpassed his season-high two days later on March 1, putting up a then career-high 49 points alongside 16 assists in a high-scoring 168–161 quadruple overtime loss to the Chicago Bulls.[36] On March 31, Young scored a game-winner and had 12 points and 16 assists against the first-seeded Milwaukee Bucks.[37] He joined Dončić in a unanimous selection to the 2019 NBA All-Rookie First Team.[8]
2019–20 season: First All-Star selection
On October 24, 2019, Young scored 38 points in a 117–110 season-opening win against the Detroit Pistons.[38] On November 29, Young scored 49 points, including 21 points in the fourth quarter, in a 105–104 overtime loss to the Indiana Pacers.[39] On January 23, 2020, he was selected for the NBA All-Star selection as a backcourt starter.[40] On January 26, Young recorded 45 points and 14 assists in a 152–133 win against the Washington Wizards. Young wore No. 8 in the first eight seconds of the game in memory of Kobe Bryant.[41] Four days later, he posted 39 points and a career-high 18 assists en route to a 127–117 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.[42] On February 9, Young registered 48 points and 13 assists in 47 minutes in a 140–135 double overtime win over the New York Knicks.[43] On February 20, Young scored a career-high 50 points in a 129–124 win against the Miami Heat, hitting 8-of-15 three pointers.[44] On February 19, 2020, Bleacher Report named Young the worst defensive point guard in the NBA.
secure the No. 8 seed in the 2022 NBA playoffs, Young logged 38 points and 9 assists. He scored 32 of his points in the second half.[66] In Game 1 of the first round against the Miami Heat, Young scored a career playoff-low 8 points on 1-for-12 shooting (0-for-7 from three-point range) and had more turnovers (six) than assists (four). His 8.3% shooting was tied for the worst field goal percentage of his career.[67] The Hawks would go on to lose to the Heat in five games.[68]
2022–23 season: Career high in assists per game
As Young entered his fifth NBA season, the Atlanta Hawks decided to pull off a trade receiving Dejounte Murray of the San Antonio Spurs in the process.[69] The trade improved the Hawks' defense and reduced Young's offensive burden.[70][71] His season began on October 19, 2022, against the Houston Rockets. In his first game, he put up 23 points and 13 assists. They went on to win that game 117–107 where his newly acquired teammate played his defensive role well racking up 5 steals. Five games later in the season, Young put up 42 points in a 115–123 loss against the Milwaukee Bucks.[72] On November 25, Young scored a season-high 44 points in a 128–122 loss against the Houston Rockets.
On February 26, 2023, Young put up 34 points, eight assists, two steals, and a buzzer-beating, game-winning jumpshot in a 129–127 win over the Brooklyn Nets.[74] On April 7, Young scored 27 points and set a career high 20 assists in 136–131 overtime loss against the Philadelphia 76ers.[75] In Game 3 of the Hawks' first round playoff series against the Boston Celtics, Young put up 32 points, six rebounds, nine assists, one steal, and two blocks in a 130–122 win. He joined Dejounte Murray as the first pair of Hawks teammates to each put up at least 25 points, five rebounds, and five assists in a playoff game since Lenny Wilkens and Bill Bridges in 1966.[76] In Game 5 of the Hawks' first round playoff series against the Boston Celtics, Young put up 38 points and 13 assists alongside a game-winning three-pointer in a 119–117 win.[77] Atlanta would go on to lose to Boston in six games despite Young's 30-point and 10-assist outing in the 128–120 close-out loss in Game 6.[78]
2023–24 season: Third All-Star Selection
On December 23, 2023, Young recorded 30 points and 13 assists in a 125–119 loss against the Memphis Grizzlies. It was his seventh consecutive game with at least 30 points and 10 assists, tying Oscar Robertson for the longest such streak in NBA history. Robertson set the record from December 1964 to January 1965.[79] On November 30, 2023, Young scored a season-high 45 points with 14 assists in a 147–145 win against the San Antonio Spurs.[80]
On February 6, 2024, Young was named to his third All-Star team, first since the 2021–22 NBA season, as an injury replacement for Julius Randle.[81] On February 15, Young made his 1,051st career three-pointer to surpass Mookie Blaylock for the most three-pointers made in Hawks franchise history in a 122–99 loss to the Charlotte Hornets
