"I'm not the $300 million player" - Former Warriors guard highlights Trae Young's missing X-factor for bigger fanbase
During Wednesday's episode of "Gil's Arena," former Golden State Warriors guard Gilbert Arenas and his co-hosts talked about the vitriol around Trae Young. However, the Atlanta Hawks point guard wasn't initially the topic of discussion. First, Arenas and his co-hosts were asked if they would rather build around LaMelo Ball or Ja Morant.
During the discussion. LA Sparks guard Lexie Brown asked the other hosts what the difference was between Young and Ball. The hosts said that the only thing that separated these two guards was their height.
This led Brown to ask if the only reason Young has been unlikeable to fans is because of his height. Arenas said (1:56:02-1:57:04):
"It's like (Russell) Westbrook. How they play the game he probably talks a lot of s*** while he's playing. There's just certain people that you don't like. Rudy Gobert, it has nothing to do with them. You just look at them and you're just 'I don't like him.' He needs a great PR that makes him look different in the world's eyes. He just needs his own personal PR that can spin better narratives.
The "Gil's Arena" hosts continued the discussion and Arenas eventually said that the vitriol Trae Young receives affects his salary. Arenas pointed out that nowadays, a player needs to reach certain milestones to be considered a max player.
"If you're not voting for me for All-Star because you don't like me personally, or you're not voting me for All-NBA because you don't like my money, that means I am not making my supermax." Arenas continued. "I'm not the $300 million player." (1:57:50-1:58:01)
According to Gilbert Arenas, Trae Young needs a good PR Team around him that will help change his image. According to the former Golden State Warriors guard, a PR team will also help him win accolades which in turn helps him achieve the conditions for a supermax contract.
Also read: Austin Rivers urges Trae Young to leave consistently underwhelming Hawks: "Nobody gives a f**k"
Taking a look at other differences between Trae Young and LaMelo Ball
According to the Gil's Arena hosts, the only difference between Trae Young and LaMelo Ball is their height. While that may be true since Young is officially listed as 6-foot-1 and Ball is 6-foot-7, there are a few other differences.
One major difference between the two guards has been their availability. Ball, who is in his fifth season in the league, has played significantly fewer games than Young.
Ball entered the league later, but in his first four seasons, he only played 184 games. Meanwhile, Young had already suited up for 280 contests by the time his fourth regular season concluded.
Another difference between the two is their assists. While both are considered to be excellent playmakers, only one of them has averaged double-figure assists in a season. Despite his highlight reel-worthy passes, Ball has never averaged more than nine assists in a season. His career high is 8.4 assists per game which was in 2022-23.
Trae Young has averaged over nine assists per game since his second season. In fact, in the last two seasons, Young averaged 10.2 (2022-23) and 10.8 (2023-24) apg. So far this year, he has been the NBA's leader in assists per game at 12.5 and total assists at 236.