Wednesday’s game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Atlanta Hawks featured former Norman North high school teammates and Oklahoma/Oklahoma State rivals Trae Young and Lindy Waters III playing against each other in an NBA game for the first time.
Both attended the same high school in Norman North before Young enrolled in Oklahoma while Waters III enrolled in Oklahoma State for college.
Young was drafted fifth overall in the first round of the 2018 NBA Draft while Waters III signed a two-way deal with the Thunder this past February.
“I think it’s gonna be a cool experience,” said Young before Wednesday’s game. “For people from Norman and people around here that got to see us grow up and play with each other and against each other. I think it’s a cool moment for them.”
Talked with Trae Young at Hawks shootaround this morning about playing close to home, playing against Lindy Waters lll & how his season's gone. #Sooners pic.twitter.com/4RyYLvnPtY
— Nate Feken (@TheGreat_Nate) March 30, 2022
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault also offered this thoughts on the former high-school teammates matchup up against each other on the NBA stage, saying that it’s great for the state of Oklahoma and Oklahoma basketball in general.
“When you’re in high school, I don’t know if anybody is sitting around and thinking your high school teammates gonna be playing against each other in the NBA,” said Daigneault.
The Hawks would go on to blowout the Thunder, 136-118. Both former Norman North teammates led their respective teams in scoring as Young finished with 41 points and Waters III finished with 25 points.
“It was a cool moment for sure. I haven’t really got to have a conversation with him for a while, at least through high school,” said Waters III after the game when asked about his conversation with Young following the final buzzer. “Two kids from Norman, meeting back up in the league. It’s amazing.”
