Trae Young has replaced his infamous celebration on the court of Madison Garden, or at least updated it from his bow during to conclude the Atlanta Hawks’ playoff series against the New York Knicks in 2021.
Following the Hawks’ 108-100 victory on Wednesday, Young hit a Las Vegas-inspired celebration, shaking imaginary dice on the Knicks’ logo.
He said he had pre-planned the celebration with his little brother.
Jalen Brunson gets real about Trae Young celebrating on Knicks logo after Hawks' win
Knicks star Jalen Brunson was asked for his thoughts on the celebration – which notably comes in the wake of a weekend in which flags being planted on enemy fields in college football – and gave a fitting answer.
“We should win the game if we don't want him to do that,” Brunson told reporters from the Knicks’ locker room.
#WeMove 🎲🎲 pic.twitter.com/r2Fy7M5D9n
— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) December 12, 2024
Brunson had an off night against the Hawks, who snapped his 20-point game streak at four and held him to 33.3% shooting from the floor and a 2-for-6 clip from downtown. He can thank Dyson Daniels for many of his struggles throughout the night.
Daniels’ all-around game was critical in this one since he scored but 9 points on an inefficient 40% shooting performance.
However, he also chipped in 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks.
One thing Daniels did not do was steal the ball, snapping his streak of games with at least 1 at nine. Still, he drew praise from Hawks head coach Quin Snyder following the game for his contributions.
“There's times when it looks like he's beat, but he's able to recover so well. And one of the things that really hurt us is when someone is – whether it's Brunson, or somebody – is getting in the paint, we overhelp. And then the ball gets sprayed out, and there was a number of 3's where that happened,” Snyder told reporters postgame. “He's a special special defender, and … I think what I would point to is his ability to recover.”
Dyson 🔒 pic.twitter.com/qdFTZvCc4E
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) December 12, 2024
The best part about Daniels for the Hawks is that he is under team control for the next two seasons at a bargain rate, even with restricted free agency in 2026, given what he provides.
That said, he would seem like a prime candidate for an extension next season.
The Hawks did the same thing with Jalen Johnson following his breakout in 2023-24, inking him to a five-year, $150 million contract extension right before the season. The decision likely saved them millions given how Johnson has taken another step forward this season.
Daniels has done the same, and the Hawks would be wise to secure his services before he progresses even further.
Their history suggests they will at least explore it.