The old saying goes, “Time heals all wounds” — unless you’re a fan of the New York Knicks and Trae Young is involved, then it just makes them fester.
Young, public enemy No. 1 for Knicks fans, returns to Madison Square Garden on Wednesday for the NBA Cup quarterfinals (7 p.m. ET on ESPN). Prior to being drafted at No. 5 in 2018, Young was optimistic about the possibility of being selected by the Knicks.
“If I’m blessed enough to be able to play in New York City, I would be honored and I would be willing to get to work and help that franchise win,” he said.
Young landed with the Atlanta Hawks after a draft day swap with the Dallas Mavericks. Wednesday is the 20th regular-season meeting between Young’s Hawks and the Knicks — they have won just six of those matchups.
However, the Hawks guard has some bragging rights over the Knicks after helping eliminate them in the first round of the 2021 Eastern Conference playoffs. He averaged 29.2 points and 9.8 assists as Atlanta bounced New York in five games.
That series sparked a feud between Young and New York, leading to spontaneous “F— Trae Young” chants from Knicks fans, even when the Knicks aren’t playing the Hawks. Knicks fans memorably chanted the phrase following a win against the Boston Celtics in the 2021-22 season opener. But that’s only the tip of the bad-blood iceberg.
Here’s a look at key moments between Young and the Knicks.
Trae takes a bow
In his first postseason appearance in 2021, Young showed out early, dropping 32 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds in Game 1. He hit a runner with 0.9 remaining to lead Atlanta to the victory and told the crowd to “be quiet” — all while being the recipient of the “F— Trae Young” chants.
“As I hit the floater, it just felt like everybody got quiet,” Young said. “I was waiting for them f— you chants again. I was excited.”
New York fans took up the chant within the first minutes of Game 1 and it continued throughout the series. It got ugly in Game 2 when a fan was banned from Madison Square Garden for spitting on the Hawks star.
Young relished the villain role, chuckling while on the receiving end of those chants. He had the last laugh, too.
In Game 5, he hit a 32-foot 3-pointer with 43 seconds left to ice the game. He proceeded to take a bow at center court and wave goodbye to the Madison Square Garden crowd.
“I know where we are. I know it’s a bunch of shows around this city,” Young said of the bow. “And I know what they do when the show is over.”
Christmas Day jeers
New York fans weren’t feeling festive on Christmas Day in 2021.
The Knicks faced the Hawks at home in their first matchup since the playoffs. It was a one-sided affair with New York defeating Atlanta behind a triple-double from point guard Kemba Walker.
A familiar anti-Young chant broke out during the game. There was only one problem — Young wasn’t playing due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols. He fired back on X after the game.
They only say it at the end now?!?
🤔🤔🤔smart 😂*at least all I heard🤫
— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) December 25, 2021
‘Lot of lights, lot of s— talking,’
Young didn’t get to respond to New York fans until March 2022, and he came prepared. The three-time NBA All-Star dropped 45 points with seven assists. The Garden crowd continued to boo him, but it didn’t matter in the end.
Atlanta won 117-111 and Young didn’t miss an opportunity to poke fun at the fans. He said the boos weren’t as loud as he expected.
“Nah, I couldn’t really hear them, for real. It wasn’t even that loud, to be honest with you,” Young said.
He couldn’t pinpoint what about the Garden stage brings out his best, calling it a fun atmosphere full of lights and “s— talking.”
Special kicks backfire at the Garden
Young’s confidence was sky high heading into a December 2022 matchup in the Big Apple. High enough that he arrived with special kicks.
In Knicks colors, Young’s sneakers read “King of Broadway” on the heel. However, he struggled in the shoes. Young had just 19 points on 9-of-20 shooting from the field as New York dominated for a 113-89 victory.
Young reflects on the viral chants
Throughout the rivalry with the Knicks, Young has been showered with the chants. During an appearance on Paul George’s podcast in August, he called those chants “super funny.”
Young then shared a story of a young girl at the Garden giving him the finger right behind the scorer’s table.
“I’m just looking at the reactions of all these people just flipping me off,” he said. “Ten minutes in the first quarter, I ain’t do nothing.”
‘To the exit real real quickly’
New York swept Atlanta during the regular season in 2023-24, with Young only appearing in two games — both at home. But, only one game was necessary to rekindle the fire and the Hawks star lit it last month.
He had 23 points, 10 assists and 6 rebounds in a 121-116 win against the Knicks. It marked his seventh career 20-point, 10-assist game against the Knicks (regular season and playoffs), the most by any player against New York since Young entered the NBA in 2018-19, according to ESPN Research.
To add insult to injury, Young poked fun at the New York fans in attendance in Atlanta.
“I hope these New York fans find their way to the exit real, real quickly,” he said. “Boo, take y’all asses home.”
Trae said go home 😂 pic.twitter.com/l1OoKhwvVF
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 7, 2024
The Knicks have a chance to return the favor on Wednesday by eliminating the Hawks from the NBA Cup with a win.
