Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young often doesn’t have the spotlight despite being one of the best guards in the NBA. However, he doesn’t have much concern about that lack of recognition.
Young has been in the league since 2018, representing the Hawks after they landed him in the NBA draft. He rose the ranks to become one of the best shooters and playmakers in the league, even leading Atlanta to an Eastern Conference Finals appearance in 2021.
More news: NBA Insider Provides Concerning Update On Trae Young’s Future With Hawks
However, the spotlight hasn’t been on him. Anthony Edwards, Luka Doncic, Donovan Mitchell, and Jalen Brunson, among others, have garnered the spotlight as some of the best young stars in the league, giving the league a solid transition from their older generation of elite talents.
Young appeared on a Sept. 15 episode of the Club 520 podcast with Jeff Teague, DJ Wells, and B Hen. He says the reason he’s left off All-NBA and All-Star teams is just that he isn’t ‘super loud’ and lets his game do the talking.
“I just think that’s why, I’m not super loud when it comes to like boosting myself or something like that. I would rather let my game do the talking and let everybody else speak for me. So it doesn’t matter if I’ve gotten the credit or not, I’d rather just live that way and hopefully it’s going to turn, it’s going to flip,” Young said at the 28:59 mark.
Young has his reasons for not being concerned about not being on All-NBA teams. The last time he was on one was after his performances in the 2021-22 season. He remains an active All-Star, landing on three squads in the last four seasons, showing that his talent still garners respect as one of the best in the league.
Young was healthy throughout the 2024-25 season, playing 76 games, which marked the most since his 2021-22 campaign. He averaged 24.2 points, 11.6 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game. He shot 41.1% from the field, including 34% from beyond the arc, and 87.5% from the free-throw line.
More news: Hawks Make Trade, Send Guard to East Rival
Atlanta hasn’t returned to playoff action since 2023, falling in the play-in tournaments the last two seasons. They have significantly retooled in the offseason, getting Kristaps Porzingis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Luke Kennard. They have a chance to make plenty of noise in the Eastern Conference if their core remains healthy while making their case as a strong playoff contender.
The Hawks will await training camp before gearing up for the preseason. They will face the Houston Rockets on Oct. 6 at 8 p.m. ET then play three more preseason contests. Their regular season will begin when they host the Toronto Raptors on Oct. 22 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
For all the latest NBA news and rumors, head over to Newsweek Sports.
Read the full article here
