While it still feels crazy for him to return as a member of a new team, Young will always have a lot of appreciation for the Hawks fans.
Trae Young set the record straight about his transition to the Washington Wizards upon his unforeseen trade exit from the Atlanta Hawks.
Trae Young
Trae Young
Trae Young
MIN: 28.01
PTS: 19.3 (57.21%)
REB: 1.5
AS: 8.9
ST: 0.9
BL: 0.2
TO: 2.6
GM: 10
"For me, I went into this with an open mind," Young told reporters. "I didn’t try to expect anything or think about it too much. For me, this is a new experience and I know everybody else around me knows it’s a new experience for me. And the best part about being with this [Wizards] organization, they made it so comfortable for me in this transition. A lot of them have known me since I was in high school, a lot of them being in OKC and things like that. So them making it very easy for me in the transition made the transition way smoother.
"So no, I didn’t really expect anything. That’s why I’ve just been happy where I’m at and taking it day by day."
Young returns to Atlanta for the first time since he was dealt by the Hawks to the Wizards for C.J. McCollum and Cory Kispert.
The former franchise guard took plenty of shots in the team's pregame warmup. He hasn't played yet as he continues to recover from his right knee MCL sprain and a quadriceps contusion.
After spending the first eight seasons of his career with the franchise, Young admitted that it still feels surreal to return while not being a Hawk anymore.
"It’s been crazy. It’s been different from everything," he said. "I’ve just been, to be honest, trying to soak everything in since I’ve been back. Just the new experiences and things like that that I’m obviously not used to.
"It’s all just been super unique and something that I’ve been thinking about these past few weeks. And it hasn’t even really started yet, to be honest with you."
In the end, Young got nothing but love from the Hawks fans for supporting him through thick and thin.
The star guard became a four-time All-Star with the franchise, who notably led Atlanta to the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals.
"I just wanted the Hawks fans to know how much I love and appreciate them since day one, from getting drafted. Obviously the trade and things like that, but for me to come in and still find a way to make a name for myself, make a name for my team, and try to put this city on the map where people were talking about us, you can’t do that without the fans," Young stated.
"The fans showed us so much love throughout the years that I was here. Even the years that we were down, it felt like there was still a lot of love. So I’ve got so much love for this city and these fans."
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