 Young about to shoot a free throw. | |
| No. 11 – Atlanta Hawks | |
|---|---|
| Full name: | Rayford Trae Young |
| Born: | September 19, 1998 Lubbock, Texas, United States |
| Nationality: |  American
|
| Physical stats | |
| Listed height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Listed weight: | 180 lb (82 kg) |
| Professional basketball career | |
| Position: | Point Guard |
| League: | NBA |
| Jersey no. | 11 |
| NBA Draft: | 2018 / Round: 1 / Pick: 5th |
| Selected by the Dallas Mavericks | |
| Playing career: | 2018–present |
| College basketball career | |
| High school: | Norman North High School (Norman, Oklahoma) |
| College: | Oklahoma Sooners |
| Playing career: | 2017–18 |
| Career history | |
| Atlanta Hawks | (2018–present) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Rayford Trae Young (born September 19, 1998) is an American professional basketball player for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
He played college basketball for the Oklahoma Sooners. Young became the only player to ever lead the NCAA in both points and assists in a single season. He was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2018 NBA Draft with the fifth pick, but was soon traded to the Atlanta Hawks, along with a future first-round pick, for the draft rights to 3rd pick Luka Dončić.
Early Life[]
He was born in Lubbock, Texas and is the son of Candice and Rayford Young, who played basketball at Texas Tech and professionally in Europe. He has a younger brother, Tim, and two younger sisters, Caitlyn and Camryn.
College Career[]
On February 16, 2017, Trae Young committed to the Oklahoma Sooners. At the start of the season, on November 12, Young recorded 15 points, 10 assists, and six rebounds in a win over the Omaha Mavericks. Three days after his college debut, Young recorded 22 points and a then season-high 13 assists in a win over the Ball State Cardinals. On November 26, Young recorded a season-high 43 points and seven assists in a 90–80 win over the Oregon Ducks. That game had his name draw multiple comparisons to Stephen Curry in terms of his playing style.
Throughout the season, Young rose from being a late first-round or a second-round pick to being a potential top-three pick for the 2018 NBA Draft. He also garnered praise from both LeBron James and Stephen Curry for his season with Oklahoma. Young finished his freshman regular season leading the country in many statistics: assists (271), points (848), points per game (27.4), assists per game (8.7), and assist percentage (48.6%). Following Oklahoma's loss in the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, Young announced his intention to forgo his final three seasons of collegiate eligibility and declare for the 2018 NBA Draft.
Professional Career[]
Atlanta Hawks (2018–present)[]
On June 21, 2018, Young was selected with the fifth overall pick by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2018 NBA draft, but was traded to the Atlanta Hawks along with a protected future first round pick in exchange for the rights to the third overall pick Luka Dončić. On July 1, 2018, Young officially signed with the Hawks. On October 21, in the Hawks' third game of the season, Young finished with a season-high 35 points and 11 assists in a 133–111 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. On November 19, Young finished with a then career-high 17 assists, 25 points and three rebounds in a 127–119 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. On February 25, 2019, Young scored a then career-high 36 points and made career high eight 3-pointers in a 119–111 loss to the Houston Rockets. On February 27, Young recorded 36 points and 10 assists in a 131–123 overtime win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. He then broke his season-high two days later on March 1, putting up a then career-high 49 points alongside 16 assists in a high-scoring 168–161 quadruple overtime loss to the Chicago Bulls. On March 31, Young scored a game-winner and had 12 points and 16 assists against the first-seeded Milwaukee Bucks.
On October 24, 2019, Young scored 38 points in a 117–110 season-opening win against the Detroit Pistons. On November 29, Young scored 49 points, including 21 points in the fourth quarter, in a 105–104 overtime loss to the Indiana Pacers. On January 23, 2020, he was selected for the NBA All-Star selection as a backcourt starter. On January 26, Young recorded 45 points and 14 assists in a 152–133 win against the Washington Wizards. Young wore No. 8 in the first 8 seconds of the game in memory of Kobe Bryant. Four days later, he posted 39 points and a career-high 18 assists en route to a 127–117 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. On February 9, Young registered 48 points and 13 assists in 47 minutes in a 140–135 double overtime win over the New York Knicks. On February 20, Young scored a career-high 50 points in a 129–124 win against the Miami Heat, hitting 8-of-15 three pointers.
On December 23, 2020, Young put up 37 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds, in a 124–104 season-opening win over the Chicago Bulls. On May 23, 2021, Young made his NBA playoff debut, posting 32 points, 7 rebounds and 10 assists against the New York Knicks, capping it off with a game-winning floater with 0.9 seconds left in regulation to lift the Hawks to a 107–105 victory in Game 1 of the First Round. Young also joined LeBron James, Chris Paul, and Derrick Rose as the only players in league history to record 30 points and 10 assists in their playoff debut. In a 109–106 victory against the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers in Game 5 of the Conference Semifinals, Young put up 39 points, 7 assists, and 3 steals leading the Hawks to a 26-point comeback victory. In Game 7 of the Conference Semifinals, Young put up 21 points to lead the Hawks past the Sixers, en route to their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 2015. In Game 1 of the Conference Finals, Young dropped a playoff career-high 48 points, alongside 11 assists and seven rebounds, to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 116-113.
Player profile[]
At 6'1, Young is one of the shorter players in the NBA, and plays the point guard position. Young is known for his 3 point shooting, in particularly his ability to make deep 3-point shots from well beyond the 3-point line. Young is also an excellent ball-handler, allowing him to create his own shots and score despite his small size. Additionally, Young has proven to be a great passer, averaging 9.5 assists for his career and over 10 assists in his last 2 seasons.
Despite his prolific offensive ability, Young has been criticised for his poor defensive ability, being regarded by some as one of the worst defensive players in the NBA.