"This man is a menace, he must be stopped" - Draymond Green breaks down Trae Young’s success as ‘Knicks killer’
Atlanta Hawks' Trae Young caused a frenzy with his performance and antics during the Hawks' 108-100 Emirates NBA Cup quarterfinal win over the New York Knicks, drawing remarks from Draymond Green.
On his "The Draymond Green Show," the Golden State Warriors forward referred to Young as a "Knicks killer."
Both Draymond Green and Baron Davis criticized Knicks players for their inability to contain Young, who celebrated by playing dice on the Knicks' logo.
Trae Young owns the New York Knicks... and that man went and started shooting dice in the middle of the court on the logo. This man is a menace. He must be stopped," Green said.
The Hawks defied the odds to defeat the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. They trailed by seven points at the end of the first half but showed resilience in the second half.
The Hawks took a nine-point lead at the end of the third quarter and eventually held on for the win. Trae Young ended the game with a double-double of 22 points, 11 assists and five rebounds.
In his career, Young has averaged 25.4 points, 9.6 assists and 3.3 rebounds across 21 games against the Knicks.
Trae Young called out by former New York Knicks player
Trae Young's dice-rolling stunt didn't sit well with everyone. Former Knicks player Isaiah Hartenstein criticized Young on Friday for his actions on the Knicks' home court.
Hartenstein, now with the OKC Thunder, was asked for his opinion on the celebration and stated that he wouldn't have allowed Young to do it.
"I wouldn't have let him roll the dice on midcourt. I would've done something. I've always got love for New York,” Isaiah Hartenstein said via Stefan Bondy of the New York Post.
The comments from Hartenstein come as his Thunder prepare to face the Houston Rockets. The winners will meet the winners of the Bucks-Hawks game.
Young continues to be the leader and face of the Hawks franchise this season. Despite his leadership style being questioned, he has led the Hawks to the seventh seed in the East with a 14-12 record.
He is putting up All-Star-caliber numbers, averaging 21.0 points, 3.9 rebounds and 12.2 assists per game.