Trae Young tells fan 'I like that' after they hurled NSFW insult during NBA in-season tournament reveal
It’s simple, albeit crude. And New York Knicks’ fans favorite chant for Atlanta Hawks points guard Trae Young came out of hibernation during the NBA’s mid-season tournament reveal on Saturday evening.
Young was one of three players on hand to reveal the pods of teams for the tournament. Right before he was about to name a team, a fan in the crowd let loose.
“F*ck Trae Young!” they yelled.
The Hawks point guard kept his cool in response.
“I like that,” Young retorted.
It’s unclear if the fan on hand who let fly is a Knicks fan, but the fans in MSG rained down the chant on Young when the two teams faced off in December 2021.
Since then, the three-word chant has followed the budding star point guard. Even to the NBA’s mid-season tournament reveal.
It’s unclear what Young has done to deserve being on the business end of this chant, if anything, but he has made clear it doesn’t seem to get to him. Not on camera for a league event in July, nor in MSG in December.
His nickname isn’t Ice Trae for no reason.
Young isn’t afraid to mix it up on the court
The Bedlam basketball rivalry bled over to an NBA court in early March in a matchup between the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks. Former Oklahoma State star Marcus Smart and Young, a former Oklahoma star, got into a scuffle late in the fourth quarter as their teammates had to separate them.
The exchange began after Smart fouled Young on his way to the basket. However, it appears the Hawks guard inadvertently kicks Smart in the groin area while going up for the shot.
Smart took issue with the contact, grabbing Young as the two appeared to share a few words with each other before pulling each other to the ground.
Both Smart and Young received a technical foul for their part in the skirmish. Additionally, Smart was ejected with just 1:25 remaining. Boston went on to claim a 134-25 victory.
Smart played at Oklahoma State during the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons, leading them to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances. Young played just one season at Oklahoma in 2017-18, averaging 27.4 points and 8.7 assists per game to earn consensus All-American honors. He also helped the Sooners to a tournament appearance.
Both players have gone on to enjoy successful NBA careers, with Young making third team All-NBA last season.