"You know ball": Trae Young backs a tweet criticizing NBA's "leg kick" rule
Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young is not a fan of the NBA's "leg kick" rule. During Saturday night's 136-108 win against the Washington Wizards, the officials waived Young's stepback three-pointer with 10 minutes remaining in the fourth.
This was because his right foot extended when he made the move, resulting in the defender making contact with him.
The call was criticized by X (formerly Twitter) user Grant Shirley, who mentioned that the league should make it a no-call instead of deeming the move an offensive foul.
He also added that what Young did with his foot was only natural considering the move he made with his jump shot, which the Hawks star responded to in agreement.
"You know ball," Young said. "They want me to land on his feet & roll my ankle for it to be a foul."
From Young's point of view, he isn't fond of the call as it eliminates protection from the offensive player. The Hawks guard sarcastically added to his tweet by saying that for him to receive a trip to the free throw line, he has to land on the defender's foot and evidently "roll his ankle."
This "kick rule" by the NBA has been a debatable topic as of late, with some fans arguing that there are, in fact, certain players who "exaggerate" the move by extending their foot to receive the desired foul call.
Trae Young's stat line against the Washington Wizards and his regular season numbers
Despite being handed an offensive foul, that didn't stop Trae Young from dropping an excellent double-double outing against the Washington Wizards.
In 30 minutes of playing time, he dropped 26 points (9-of-17 shooting, including 5-of-8 from 3-point range) and 10 assists. He also added five rebounds and four steals to top off a complete performance from the Hawks star.
It was a standout performance that helped the Atlanta Hawks improve to 8-7 in the season with a winning percentage of .533. It was the team's second win in a row following their 147-145 overtime victory against the Brooklyn Nets last Wednesday.
Moreover, in the 14 games that Young has played this season, he has averaged 26.0 points (39.8% shooting, including 36.4% from 3-point range) and 10.6 assists per game. His shooting efficiency is down compared to past seasons, but there's no denying that Trae Young has been getting back into his groove as of late.