Trae Young vs. the New York Knicks isn't on the same echelon as Reggie Miller vs. Madison Square Garden, but it's the latest version. Young didn't want to become the villain of the Empire State, but he had no choice. The Knicks created Young's villainy, which began in the 2021 playoffs. Young recently commented on the idea of him as a villain and what he thinks of such a reputation.
"It's cool. I don't like being a villain. I don't like being that way…I don't think I turned myself into a villain; I feel like people turned me into a villain," Young said.
The Knicks vs. the Atlanta Hawks playoff series gave the NBA a new rivalry.
The 2021 postseason's opening round featured the fourth-seed Knicks vs. the fifth-seed Hawks. Although the four-five matchup could sway either way, the power of New York increased the hype, but oddsmakers perceived the Hawks as the series victor, given FanDuel's favorable line latter team.
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New York has a passionate fan base, for better and for worse. The infamous video footage of Knicks fans historically trashing Young displayed the fan base's "hatred" of the Atlanta point guard and birthed many viral clips. One odd guy even compared the star point guard to their father's private parts.
Young's shushing of the Madison Square Garden crowd in Game 1 didn't help; it only fanned the flames of New York loyalists. Atlanta set the tone with a 97-95 victory in New York, as Young hit the game-winning floater, which immediately led to the young star putting his finger to his mouth and nose to quiet the building.
While Young may not like the villain role, taunting Knicks fans and knocking their team out of the playoffs doesn't help his reputation in New York.
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This story was originally published December 9, 2024, 4:07 PM.