Kendrick Perkins on Trae Young: "He is the Most Disrespected Star Since Carmelo Anthony"

Young had another fantastic game last night and the Hawks defeated the Knicks to advance in the NBA Cup

Dec 11, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) controls the ball against New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges (25) during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Trae Young has done it again. When the lights are brightest in Madison Square Garden, Young has stuck it to the New York Knicks and beat them on their own floor. He sent them home in the 2021 NBA Playoffs and last night, he scored 22 points and dished out 11 assists as the Hawks upset the Knicks in the NBA Cup Quarterfinals. Atlanta will now head to Las Vegas to face Milwaukee in the semifinals, while the Knicks are eliminated.

Young has taken a different approach to his game and has become more of a facilitator than a scorer, leading the league in assists while his scoring numbers take a dip and it has benefitted the team in a big way. Atlanta is 14-12 and in 7th place in the Eastern Conference, but only 2.5 games out of third place. Before the game, ESPN analyst and former NBA Champion Kendrick Perkins, who has long been a fan of Young's, had this to say:

"When you think about guys who have the most 40-point games in Madison Square Garden, it's Jordan, Kobe, Bernard King, and Trae Young. Here is the thing, Trae Young is the most disrespected star since Carmelo Anthony. Both were one and done phenoms, both took their franchises to the conference finals and still, they were disrespected and the fans were ungrateful for what they had done, for what Carmelo had done and now what Trae Young is doing. What Trae Young is doing right now, even though his shooting splits are down, but his playmaking is at an all-world, MVP level, like Steve Nash and Jason Kidd."

"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

The Atlanta Hawks have become giant killers this season and have surprised the NBA world with their 14-12 record. Atlanta has won seven of their last eight games and the latest was a win in the NBA Cup Quarterfinals against the Knicks, the Hawks second win over New York this season.

Trae Young has had a lot of success against the Knicks in the biggest moments and last night was no exception. While the stakes were not as high as the 2021 first round of the playoffs, it was the biggest game of the year for the Hawks and Young delivered. He finished with 22 points and 11 assists last night and was dicing the Knick's defense up in the third quarter. Atlanta won the game 108-100 and after the game, Young had a celebration in store for the Knicks.

Trae Young rolled the dice on the Knicks logo 👀

Next stop: Las Vegas 💰 pic.twitter.com/M707Rgvl0W

— ESPN (@espn) December 12, 2024

Additional Links

Trae Young's Viral Celebration At End Of Hawks Upset Win Over the Knicks Had The NBA World Buzzing

RECAP: Hawks Take Down Knicks and Punch Ticket to NBA Cup Semifinals in Massive 107-100 Victory