Trae Young Signs Major Contract with Sprite

The All-Star point guard is reaching new levels of fame.
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Grant Hill, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and now Trae Young is the latest NBA superstar to join Team Sprite. The Coca-Cola Company made the splashy announcement on all of their social media platforms Friday night - the same time Young went off for 33 points and 15 assists in a 121-110 over the Golden State Warriors.

The 15-second promo shows a block of ice being chiseled into a work of art portraying Young and two bottles of Sprite. The announcer says, "Sprite's best when it's cold. That's why we signed the coldest player in basketball. Welcome to Team Sprite. Take a bow, Trae Young."

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I wrote in December that 2021 will serve as Young's villain origin story. But 2022 will mark the beginning of the phenom point guard getting his flowers. This is far from Young's first national ad campaign. He had a Christmas Day commercial with State Farm, he has the best-selling signature basketball shoe with Adidas, and is set to appear in a Netflix movie starring Adam Sandler.

Sprite knows what they are doing by snatching up Young. Not only is he balling out on the court (most days, he leads the league in total points and assists), but the younger generation of fans love him. Little kids everywhere flock to Hawks games across the country in hopes of getting an autograph or maybe even a pair of game-worn shoes.

For reasons beyond my comprehension, Young continues to receive hate and disrespect. Whatever, that's fine because he seems to channel it into his game better than any current NBA player. Trae Young is officially a superstar and a household name - there is no looking back. In his words, "another day, another opportunity."

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Published
Pat Benson
PAT BENSON

Pat Benson covers the Atlanta Hawks for Sports Illustrated's All Hawks. He has covered the NBA for several years and is the author of "Kobe Bryant's Sneaker History (1996-2020)".