One of the greatest rivalries in basketball over the past few years is between the New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young.
If you are wondering how this all started, it all began during the 2021 NBA postseason. It was the first time that Young made the playoffs during his pro career and the first game of the series was at Madison Square Garden.
Young played extraordinarily well, scoring 32 points and recording 10 assists. At one point late during the game, Young took a bow after a go-ahead basket. He also silenced the crowd, gesturing his finger toward his mouth.
The Hawks went on to win the series as the guard averaged 29.2 points per game during the elimination.
Ever since that incident, though, the crowd has not exactly given him the warmest reception in New York. In fact, even during games not against the Hawks, crowds have still chanted all sorts of crazy things at Young in viral videos.
While he missed the next game Atlanta played at Madison Square Garden, his return to New York resulted in 45 points. He said it wasn’t even that loud at the arena.
The following match, Young then appeared wearing shoes that said “King of Broadway” but lost the game. This only added more fuel to the fire for fans.
New York and Atlanta will have another chance to ignite the rivalry when the Knicks and Hawks play in the NBA Cup on Wednesday night.
