Watch: Knicks' "villain" Trae Young adds another chapter to rivalry with fresh antics
Atlanta Hawks All-Star guard Trae Young added to his standing as a New York "villain" after coming up with yet another dig at the Knicks in the dying seconds of their 108-100 road victory in the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup quarterfinals on Wednesday.
As the seconds ticked away in the come-from-behind win, "Ice Trae" was at midcourt shooting dice on the Knicks' logo. He then had a celebratory handshake with teammate Jalen Johnson amid the jeering and boos from fans at Madison Square Garden.
Check out the video of Young's antics below as shared by Hoop Central on X (formerly Twitter):
Trae Young backed up his antics with a double-double performance in 36 minutes of play in the knockout NBA Cup match against the Knicks. He finished with 22 points and 11 assists to help his team reach the semifinals of the NBA in-season tournament.
Twelve of his points came in the third quarter, where the Hawks turned around a 54-47 deficit. They finished the quarter on top 81-72 and never relinquished the lead en route to the victory.
De'Andre Hunter led the Hawks in scoring with 24 points, while Johnson added 21 points and 15 rebounds.
The Knicks, for their part, were paced by Josh Hart's 21 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns contributed a 19-point, 19-rebound performance.
Atlanta will take on the Milwaukee Bucks in the semifinals of the NBA Cup on Saturday in Las Vegas.
Trae Young says love-hate relationship with Knicks fans a sign of respect
Trae Young has had a love-hate relationship with the New York Knicks over the past couple of years, which he said, in the end, is rooted in respect from both sides.
He underscored this in a postgame interview after the Atlanta Hawks eliminated the Knicks from the NBA Cup race with a 108-100 victory in their knockout quarterfinal on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden.
The three-time NBA All-Star said:
"It's a love-hate relationship (with the Knicks fans). I mean, I got a lot of love and a lot of hate, I guess, from them but I got a lot of love for them, too. So, it's respect."
Check out what he had to say below:
The "animosity" between the Knicks and their fans and Trae Young began in the 2021 playoffs when the Hawks guard reached the postseason for the first time. He played impressively throughout their series win over New York, averaging 29.2 points while also directing animated antics toward the Knicks' faithful.
In Wednesday’s knockout game, he riled up New York fans again with celebratory antics, which included skipping around following key plays and mimicking shooting dice on the Knicks' logo at midcourt as the Hawks sealed the win.