Former NBA Champion Compares Trae Young To Carmelo Anthony Before Hawks-Knicks Game

ESPN's Kendrick Perkins spoke about Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young.

Dec 6, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) dribbles against the Los Angeles Lakers in the third quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Trae Young has clearly established himself among the elite point guards in the NBA.

The three-time All-Star is currently averaging 20.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 12.2 assists and 1.3 steals per contest while shooting 38.5% from the field and 31.0% from the three-point range.

Dec 6, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) drives past Los Angeles Lakers forward Cam Reddish (5) in overtime at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Before the Atlanta Hawks faced off against the New York Knicks, ESPN star (and former NBA Champion) Kendrick Perkins made intriguing comments about Young.

Perkins (via NBA on ESPN): "Trae Young is the most disrespected star since Carmelo Anthony. Both were one-and-done phenoms, both took both of their franchises to the conference finals. Still, they were disrespected and the fans were ungrateful for what Carmelo done and now what Trae Young is doing."

"Trae Young is the most disrespected star since Carmelo Anthony." @kendrickperkins on the Hawks star 👀 pic.twitter.com/UV7j4khANa

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) December 11, 2024

Anthony is among the best scorers of all time, and there is no question that he will make the Basketball Hall of Fame.

However, he was only able to reach the confernece finals one time in 19 years.

For Young, he has a lot of time to win an NBA Championship, as this is only his seventh season.

Dec 27, 2014; Sacramento, CA, USA; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) looks on from the court against the Sacramento Kings in the fourth quarter at Sleep Train Arena. The Kings won 135-129 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Wednesday's matchup against the Knicks will be for a trip to Las Vegas (NBA Cup).

Young and the Knicks have become somewhat of a rivalry since their 2021 playoff series.

Via Underdog NBA: "Active players with multiple 40-point games as an opponent at Madison Square Garden:

Trae Young
LeBron James
Kevin Durant
Anthony Davis
Cam Thomas"

Active players with multiple 40-point games as an opponent at Madison Square Garden:

Trae Young
LeBron James
Kevin Durant
Anthony Davis
Cam Thomas pic.twitter.com/RU5XARLykX

— Underdog NBA (@Underdog__NBA) December 11, 2024

The Hawks entered play as the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference with a 13-12 record.