Trae Young acknowledges Shaquille O'Neal as he decimates the Knicks in New York once again
Shaquille O’Neal is a big fan of Trae Young. The LA Lakers legend wasn’t disappointed by the Atlanta Hawks star's performance on Wednesday against the New York Knicks. "Ice Trae," considered a villain by Knicks fans, led his team to a 108-100 win at Madison Square Garden.
After the game, Young went on X (formerly Twitter) to give O'Neal a shoutout, writing:
“I hope Shaq talking his (s**t) tonight too!! Ahh-ahh.”
O’Neal, working with the Inside the NBA team to cover the NBA Cup quarterfinals, witnessed Young carry the Hawks from a 54-47 halftime deficit to an 81-72 lead entering the fourth quarter. The 6-foot-1 guard tallied 12 points and five assists during the Hawks' dominant 34-18 third quarter.
Young talked about how he and his teammates erupted in the pivotal period:
"I figured out how they were guarding me, how they were staying with their man. I wasn't able to get guys involved. They were staying with their guys in the first half, kinda forcing me to score. I scored a couple of buckets and it allowed everybody else to open up."
Trae Young’s latest performance at Madison Square Garden caused the crowd to erupt into chants of “F**k Trae Young.” He earned his villain status in the 2021 playoffs, his postseason debut, when he led the Hawks to a 4-1 first-round series victory against the Knicks.
The hostility continued as Young mimicked rolling dice on the Knicks’ logo late in the game, further stoking the fans' frustration.
Trae Young calls his relationship with New York Knicks fans “love-hate”
Trae Young added to his growing reputation as a Knicks villain during the Hawks’ latest upset win at Madison Square Garden. Beyond delivering when his team needed him most, Young taunted New York fans with his antics late in the game.
In the postgame sideline interview, Young reflected on his relationship with Knicks supporters:
“It’s a love-hate relationship. I got a lot of love and a lot of hate from them, but I got a lot of love from them, too. It’s respect." (1:15 mark)
Young and the Hawks return to Madison Square Garden on Jan. 20, their third meeting of the season. Knicks fans can’t wait to see their team get payback after the NBA Cup quarterfinal loss.