Trae Young Responds to Trade Rumors, Talks Future in Atlanta & ‘Coach Killer’ Label | Taylor Rooks X

Trae Young Responds to Trade Rumors, Talks Future in Atlanta & ‘Coach Killer’ Label | Taylor Rooks X

Trey I am so happy that you are here um anybody who follows me knows I root for the Hawks so I am a big Trey fan big hawks F so happy you took the time to do this first off how are you feeling we’ll start there uh I’ve been better for sure

Uh this is my first time uh having like an injury like this where it’s held me out for for weeks um I didn’t know this is like my first time missing more than four games in a row so it’s like it’s definitely um new to me but I’ve been

Better I’m going to be all right though I’ll be back soon so you just mentioned it I mean first surgery of your career I’m sure there was a lot of emotions around that what were you feeling when you went into the hospital and how were

You feeling when you left oh I was I was nervous as hell going into the the hospital uh just like you said it was my first surgery um my dad said I had something when I broke my leg when I was like three but I don’t obviously don’t

Remember that but so this like knowing the surgery is about to happen there’s just a lot of anxiety going into to it but it was uh it was easy I had a really good doctor uh that did it out here in New York so um got me right but it was

Quick and easy but definitely nervous going into it and you have only missed 36 of 440 games that you have played with the Hawks that is a very small number this is something that you are not used to so when you’re on the sidelines what is that experience for

You mentally like not being able to be out there um it’s different like you have to you have to always be engaged obviously but it’s it’s new for me so I’m like I’m trying to be engaged I’m trying not to move my hand as much cuz I

Have to be still in certain places but I’m I’m competitive and I’m with my teammates and I want them to win so just being in there these last couple games just is just makes me realize just how much I really miss it and enjoy the game of basketball because it’s just a

Different field is being on the sidelines and obviously being in the game but the competitive side is always there yeah are you a person that like struggles with imp patience or do you trust the process of like I got to get better I got to get out okay no no I’m

Impatient in a lot of ways but I I do I do trust the process and in a lot but I put I work so hard and I feel like the work that I put in um it should show it should show for something so obviously

You want to put in the work you know things uh that are great usually happen over time and it takes a process but I’m I’m definitely impatient in a lot of ways cuz I want I want success you want you want to win you want things to to

Show for what you work for so definitely impatient in a lot of ways but um I’m more impatient than than more just trust in this process yeah and I’m sure in your life the impatience has helped you in a lot of Arenas too like the want to

Get out there the want to be better and things like that so I I totally get the two sides of that coin well before you got hurt let’s talk about that um because something that has been really cool to see are your improvements on defense mhm I spoke to you it might have

Been your rookie year and I said can you be an elite Defender at your size you said yes but you said you know I’m never going to be like a pat Bev type of Defender but I could be a pest I could be like Chris Paul I could keep my guy

Out the paint I could get those sneaky Steals and you’re inching closer and closer to that type of Defender how proud are you just looking at your defensive accomplishments cuz that was certainly a thing no it definitely was I mean I’m I’m proud of myself but I mean

Like you said like trust in the process I think being a really great defender even a really good defender in the league it it takes time you have to you have to learn certain techniques especially being the size I am um playing in a tall man’s game like you

Have to be smart in a lot of ways you have to be you have to go through certain things to learn certain things to to be better on that end so I feel like now I’ve got more years I’ve been able to learn different places I can be

At I can take little charges here and there I can be in certain places I think you I just had to learn certain things and I feel like now it’s showing a little bit more this year obviously and uh it helped me i’ I mean obviously I’ve

Had a little not a lot of people know this but I had a I had like a little side side bet with CC before I got hurt uh I’m I’m let everybody know now it’s off just cuz I’m hurt but uh we had a little a little charge bet um cuz he led

Our team in steal I mean in charges last year so just to like kind of like give me a little motivation and uh just to kind of help our team in that way I made a little bet with him before before the season started so uh that was one of the

Things just kind of helped me be better on that end too I love that okay this might be a bit of a loaded question and a hard question but it’s more that I just would like you to reflect on it with what you just said why do you think you weren’t a good

Defender um this I don’t I don’t that’s a lot of factors that go in into that I feel like um obviously I’m going to point towards myself I feel like def defensive defensively is it’s all about effort and um giving more effort and I think sometimes early in my career I

Felt like I needed to be out there for my team and I may not have given as much effort as I probably should have um on that other end just to to be out there on the on the floor for my team and uh some people can look at it backwards and

I I I could have been better at that too and uh but I feel like I did still give effort at times and but when you don’t win obviously it shows and but it’s not an individual sport neither too so I can’t guard five people and nobody would

Want me to guard all five people because that wouldn’t work anyways but I’m just saying I feel like there’s times that you can get better and I feel like I’ve gotten better since then no you absolutely have gotten better you are playing winning defense at times listen

I see you closing out those games it is important I think to really think about the growth and the steps that you’ve taken and I love that right there you said so much of it is effort because that is what a lot of defense is and I

Think that in the league sometimes when you’re here and of course it’s your job it’s hard to have the same level of effort all the time but I think that the more you’re in the league the more you understand that that is what makes you really great at it yeah I mean people

Don’t and at coming in as a rookie you don’t it’s hard to understand the the back Tob backs the long season and like you said I’ve only missed what 30 something games out of 400 like I I didn’t miss any game so it’s like I’m actually playing the back tobs I’m

Playing the three out of four nights like so I’m playing as a rookie 19 years old banging against 35 29 year olds like that are fully grown men I’m just learning through these experiences and I feel like that has ultimately got me to hear and it’s going to make me even

Better uh even going forward too yeah and it gets lost at like what you’re describing is that’s life that’s every single person that has ever done anything including playing in the NBA you start not knowing a lot you experience it and you get better as time

Goes goes by so I am happy to see all the improvements uh defensively um as someone who is an elite shooter I want to ask you about this obviously there’s a lot of discourse now about all the 50o games 60o games 70o games and people feel like since there is so much less

Defense now that some of those games don’t mean as much I would like to hear where you are um in that in that kind of argument and what you agree with and disagree with I mean I think that I mean everybody has their their certain their takes on this I feel like for

Me the game is just different I it’s called different players obviously evolve we learn from the grace before us and we try to take what they’ve done and try to remix it and make it um even better nowadays so I feel like the game is always going to get better and it’s

Always going to grow so um I feel like with numbers going up that’s just that’s just like Evolution it’s going to it’s going to happen especially with the way the defense is nowadays like if you really wanted more defense and basketball put defense at 3 seconds back in the game where um

Certain rule changes would be different like and I feel like that would change the Outlook of offense and how how easy it is to score because I mean guys are just so talented we know how to get by our Defenders and it’s it’s it’s so much

Space in the game in the NBA that of course it’s way easier to score than college or overseas like just because there so much space and so much talent on the floor that you can’t really help each other as much because of the defensive rules and so it’s a lot of a

Lot of reasons why that offense is is geared to have more effect on the game today than the defense is but I mean that’s just that’s the the way the NBA made the rules and that’s that’s what people have to to go with I mean they

Want to continue to change it I’ve been a part of rule changes here recently so uh I don’t get shooting fouls no more like there there’s a lot of points that I don’t get anymore um but I still find a ways to still score so it’s it’s okay

But I feel like just the game is always going to get better yeah and I mean to be clear there have of course been rule changes that do hurt the offense like the flopping or the kind of the contact baiting so there are things that do happen there but would you agree that

The way the game is now it just kind of inherently helps the offense more than it does the defense of course yeah I I I mean it definitely does um I definitely feel like it does I feel like if you change the rules offensive guys are still going to find ways to to

To maneuver around it and be better but yeah definitely the rules now I mean give the offensive player way more leverage than the defensive player but I mean I don’t know if it’s always been that way um I don’t think the defense has always ever had more leverage than

The offensive player uh I just feel like the offensive players have obviously gotten better too and their skill-wise that um just from learning from the past great that that’s that’s why offense is so good nowadays too yeah I always like hearing NBA players take on this especially those that are like very

Offensively talented like yourself because something that comes up a lot is you know the fans want to see offense and of course they do it’s exciting but I wonder if we have started to think that excitement also means quality cuz those two things aren’t the same and in

Some ways you could argue this is a bit of an overcorrection that we are not sometimes not seeing defens at all and that also can’t be how it is no no trust me it can’t be like trust me there’s times like when luuka scored 70 on us like I mean there’s

There’s times you’re like [ __ ] you you want you want to you want to give more and be more aggressive on him but like he’s so [ __ ] smart like if you if you put your hand in there he’s going to reach up and he’s so strong he’s going

To go through your arm and get a three-point play instead of two like it’s it’s a lot of a lot of ways that the defender really really hurt in a lot of ways to be physical on on a guy and so you really just have to double double

Guys nowadays and so when Lucas scored 70 on us is we didn’t really double them like we just let him play ones and like it’s it’s it’s tough like the defender is not it’s not I mean there’s no really things for him to do and we have to

Really help them and so yeah like you said the offense is definitely geared to have more more better nice in the defense yeah and especially when there there are just more great scorers than there are great Defenders which that’s just a fact too yeah it just adds to

That imbalance when you look at the All-Star Game of course there was a lot of discourse about the competition in that game do you think the lack of that competition has to do with maybe the lack of defense or do you think it has more to do with the

Players I don’t know I don’t know what do you mean by that what do you mean by like the players like sometimes when you hear you know the old heads talking about it they’re like they going out Allstar gameing they don’t care they’re friends the East not trying to represent

You know and things like that and there’s probably is an element of Truth to that but to your point I also think the All-Star game has changed over the years yeah no I think it I think it’s changed I mean for me I wish it was a

Little bit more competitive um but to be honest like it is kind of different like the way I used to watch the the game like back then like I knew when I turned on the All-Star game cuz I wasn’t watching game every day like I was like

I was as I got older but when you turn on the All-Star Game you see the best players in the game like you see Jordans you see Kobe you see the the best players and even coming off the bench you see the best players on every team I

Mean I think now it’s it’s it’s so people take it differently now and so some guys may not take it as serious and I think when you get to the the the weekend some guys are more focused on their team and what they’re trying to accomplish in their season

Um and people don’t necessarily look at the allstar game and Allstar Weekend like it used to be and as competitive and when AI would go at somebody or like when it would be competitive battles like it it’s not like that no more and I

Wish it was but yeah me too I I know a lot of fans do but I to be honest it’s it’s more about how like it’s more politics in the game nowadays and I think that comes with media and how the the game has changed media wise but I

Think it’s more politics and and what it comes and it wasn’t people on their phones the whole time video recording the game they was literally watching the game if you’re there like it’s it was more competitive and you wanted to to be a part of it and it’s it’s just

Different nowadays for sure yeah I also think too when I know it’s not like a basketball thing I think these are all kind of side effects of what like being in the moment or not and now because of what you’re saying like with the media

With the phones it’s hard to be in the moment I think that permeates to all parts of of people and the game too but how did you view the All-Star game before you were snubbed and how does snubbing change how you view it oh like

Like I said like when I was a kid like it was the best players are there like it’s even the kgs are there like um the best players that you may not even see every night on TV but they you you hear about them and you know just about them

Just because of who they are and from being in previous All Stars like you just you hear about them the best players go to Allstar Weekend and it’s like nowadays it’s different and um I know voting things are different and all that stuff is it is what it is and so

Like I feel like it’s just more politics into it as and and more other things than it being more about basketball and the best players being there and the top 24 players being there representing the team in the league it’s it’s just a lot of other things going on yeah I mean

I’ve said this before I remember yelling at the top of my lungs when I was like Tre being an All-Star I think that it is a singular award I don’t necessarily think that team success should factor into allar as much as it does because it is literally about being an allar only

You are an Allstar but I think that people will always say okay well I’m not going to choose this guy because their team isn’t doing well but it’s not a team Accolade it is a personal Accolade and even then like and you you may think I’m thinking it’s just an individual

Thing too because like there’s been years that I was a we top six seed and I was still snub and I was just cuz maybe I wasn’t averaging 30 and 30 and n and I was averaging 26 and nine I mean I’m not an Allstar that year but our team is

Better so like what is the criteria like that that is that is where I just I didn’t get it but I mean I don’t let it dwell on me and that’s why I feel like the Allstar Weekend is looked at a little different from certain players yeah no I agree well speeding of

All-Star Weekend you were hype about uh Steph and Sabrina that was so much fun that was my favorite event too I know that you have spoken about Caitlyn Clark you’re a big Caitlyn Clark fan she of course is an excellent shooter and that is an understatement of course she’s

Going to be in the WNBA soon would you ever do like a Caitlyn Trey Three-Point Contest at Allstar man of course of course I would i’ I’ve gotten to I’ve gotten to talk to her too throughout College Years like she’s been we’re the only two people that ever LED college

And points and assists like that’s that’s a crazy stat I mean I would I’d have to definitely practice a lot more than I have for these previous three-point competitions but uh n I’d be ready for sure yeah you would do that I do it what parallels do you see between

You two um I mean she can she can really score the ball obviously but I I love her passing like there’s times that like she’s dribbling and she can just pass it with I mean off right hand left hand bounce passing she she does something

That like I feel like I do and it’s past people open like sometimes like it’s a difference in just throwing it to someone when they’re open and and making making the right pass but also throwing them into the the right place and throwing them open and and scoring

Basket so she does a lot of that yeah she’s so exciting like I mean it she has truly like what she has done for the game um her angel Reese I mean so many of the women’s college basketball players is really really exciting I think that we’re really in this moment

Where people understand that you should watch women’s basketball not because you need to support women’s Hoops but because it’s amazing basketball no for sure and I feel like the the time is right right now for the WNBA to take advantage of all these players about to

Come into the W and I want all the fans obviously that they follow these these young women in college like to to follow them through the WNBA because I mean the W has some really good players too and they obviously came from these college programs so you want to follow them as

They go go into the W2 and that’ll grow the game even more yeah I totally agree um well one of the many reasons we are doing this show today is to also talk a bit about from the point with Trey young you’re a podcaster now uh what have you enjoyed about

Podcasting uh I mean I’m not obviously doing it as much as you are uh not every day or at as high of a level yet but uh I mean it’s just it’s something that obviously I wanted to have a platform for me like there’s been things that have been said about me and

Interpretations made about me and things like that that I obviously wanted to have a place that I could go and I could speak out if I ever needed to or wanted to and now I have that with my my platform and my podcast so that’s something that was really uh influential

To me and then obviously there something that is cool I chop it up with my homies all the time we talk Sports Talk other things so it’s not just about me so it’s it’s about all all types of things and topics going on so it was something I

Really wanted to do yeah it’s really clear to me too when you touched on it there but you felt the need for there to be something that allowed you to have a voice that feels like it was very important to you when you were doing this show and I was watching an

Interview that you did with um Evan Turner and Andre ugala and you all were talking about podcasting and your quote was I’m not necessarily just going to let certain things slide anymore there’s been so much said about me that is not true what is the most incorrect

Narrative uh that is out there about you that you really wanted to address um I mean I don’t know if it’s if everybody has a certain narrative about me or a few people have a certain narrative about me I think the one the one thing that just makes me the most

Mad is just the word selfish like I mean I’ve gotten into it with I mean previous coaches um just from even just saying it in certain group meetings and even if they weren’t interpreting it with me I would bring it up to to him after and be

Like we got to use a different word like just cuz selfish is just one one thing that doesn’t run any part of my body and uh just ever since I was a kid like I’ve always just wanted to do things for others and just impacts winning like

I’ve been a number two on a championship team in High School playing with the number one player in the country like I’ve I’ve been able to sacrificed for the the better of the group and my whole life in certain in certain places and uh

So I think selfish is is the one word I don’t know if everybody has that narrative about me but just from just from playing in the league and just maybe just hearing it every now and then like I I feel like that’s one word that I feel like people just misinterpret

About me the most so yeah why is not being labeled selfish this important to you and also why do you think that the selfish narrative exists at all uh I mean it bugs me the most just because I feel like it affects certain things that can be positive in in my

Life when I mean it could it could impact bringing maybe a star player to Atlanta or two star players to Atlanta um it could impact certain things being said about me and just a a mislook unless you really meet me and talk to me that you wouldn’t really understand so I

Think that’s what really really bugs me though the most about it so mhm so you said that there have been times you have had to talk to people about you know using that word how did those conversations go oh they they go good they go good and they I mean people

Start to really learn about me and know about me like whenever I had those conversation just like I’m really the the happiest guy like I really just I’m competitive like I’m so I’ve always been so competitive I want to win like I’ve always been told winning takes care of

Everything like I wasn’t a top five point guard in my class until I started winning like I wasn’t a midds allamerican until I won peace Jam like coming out of Oklahoma you don’t you know it’s not easy so like I’ve just always been competitive and so like I

Think that gets misinterpreted as in certain ways and I feel like to your second question I didn’t answer but I feel like it could have it could be it could be because coming into the league I put up a lot of numbers and we don’t win as

Much and things like that and you could looked at as a certain way and I feel like for me it was just I’m just trying to win I’m trying to do everything I can I try to to show I want to win by playing every night playing as much as I

Can and being there for my team so I think that can just sometimes get misinterpreted yeah I would also think too being a point guard being called Selfish is like the worst thing you can be called oh for sure for sure that’s that’s that’s why too is like I’m trying

To I’m trying to build something I’m trying to bring people with me I know a lot of people like I know I could help a lot of people win a lot of things like it’s just this label and I don’t know if they feel this way or not it’s just out

There and it’s like I feel like that’s just why that’s just one thing if I could make it vanish that’s one thing I wish yeah so no more selfish we’re making it vanish now yeah there we go there we go one of my favorite favorite

Quotes from you is when you said if you don’t think I have been disrespected then you just are not telling the truth what does Trey young disrespect look like to you I don’t know I’ll let you do that I’ll let you you tell people or whoever

Out there um want to talk about the disrespect I mean for me like I just like that like little little things like being labeled as selfish for the way I play or um little things like that I feel like that’s just you just don’t know you just don’t know the game or you

Just don’t know me so uh but I’ll let everybody else talk about that part okay then what does Trey young respect look like um I mean my peers my peers like that know I respect them they know they know how I am when I’m with

Them or like they know like when we on the court I respect them they know when we’re off the court like I’m going to show them love and I’m going to respect them too like I’m never the type like I’m every time I meet a a former great

Or top 75 player I always inro introduce myself or just say what’s up Legend like I I know it’s Shaq I’ll say Dominique like I don’t say say their names I say what’s up Legend like cuz I just have that much respect for him and like I have that much like gratitude towards

Them so like that’s that’s really my respect towards towards people towards anybody like I always I always start out giving you respect for sure yeah for sure well I want to talk about um as a hawks fan a very fun moment for me of course was that Eastern Conference

Finals run I was at every home game um of that it was the best time I was on a happy on another level rooting for you all yeah what do you remember most about the 20121 playoffs as a whole man I remember so many things it’s it’s it’s

Crazy cuz that was one of like the best times in my lives and like I just remember the Vibes just being great like we it felt like we were the defeating the world like nobody had us beating the Knicks like everybody besides Taylor Rooks had us losing to the Knicks in the

First round in five or six like and we went out beat him in five like it’s it was a crazy feeling and that next series we’re playing the number one seed with Ben and Joel and they’re hot like they never went to the Conference Finals this

The year they have a chance to win it all like we go in there and beat them we really should have won in six but we made it interesting and 1 and seven and it was just even when we flew up to Philly like we never had a doubt that we

Wouldn’t win and just The Vibes were hot and I feel like that was just a great time and uh everybody everybody knew their role and everybody just was excited about playing and you could just tell like even Lou Will that being his first time going to the Conference

Finals I was just happy for like guys like him I would think too I mean just seeing how you light up talking about it the joy that came from being at the Eastern Conference Finals knowing what that feeling is I would think that every year since that that you have not gotten

There is like crushing mhm is that what it feels like oh it’s it’s it’s worse than that like I mean and then after like the year after we go there it’s like we we play the Heat and I don’t have I mean John missed the last 20

Games or 15 games of the regular season and comes back the first game of playoffs but we don’t have Clint because we heard him he got hurt in the play in and like we battling through so many adversities and I’m I’m playing bad and now it feels like the whole world is

Just shifted and like the outlook on you is different it’s like just a year goes by and it’s different and the whole vibe just from two years can be totally opposite and it was crazy feeling but yeah it was a it was a terrible time for

Sure but yeah it was something like you really didn’t understand what what it would be like after going on that run yeah I’m happy you said that because that’s a thought that I have always had it’s like there’s this idea of expectations people think that you have

To reach a certain level then you do when you get to a place like the Eastern Conference Finals but the expectations continue to change so they wanted a lot from you before you made it there but then you make it there and you then set a new higher expectation and anytime

That you don’t it becomes a he’s not good he can’t do it this was a fluke it was one time etc etc how have you dealt with that like expectation change that see seems like it’s always moving with you like I want that you know what I’m

Saying like I want that expectation like I want I want people to go into the arena and be like oh yeah we they playing whoever the Milwaukee Bucks it’s going to be a great game like it’s going to be the Nuggets defending champs they we we still may win like I want those

Expectations like after you go to the Conference Finals that you supposed to win you supposed to get back there even further so like not one of those expectations just shows you a loser like I feel like if you want those like it just shows that you know that you going

To win and those expect expectations just come with winning and that’s that’s all you want as a competitor and as a high level athlete like you want that and so that’s that’s for me like I’m at the point like I want that you know what I’m saying yeah what amount of pressure

Do you feel personally I don’t I don’t feel pressure like I know pressure is there but like I don’t like necessarily feel it or like Let It dwell on me like obviously I know it’s there but as a leader you don’t I mean for me personally I don’t I don’t

Let it affect me so for people that do say because they tell me this all the time when I talk about it when people say that that Eastern Conference Finals run was a fluke what’s your response to that wasn’t I mean a fluke like um I’d like to see what a fluke like

What a I mean I think we made [ __ ] happen like you know what I’m saying like you can’t just walk in and beat Joel and Ben and Tobias and them four times like this this ain’t college basketball this ain’t you this ain’t a one night thing like if you win one game

It’s over like you had to beat them four times we had to beat two really good teams four times and we almost beat three and I feel like if we would have went to the finals much as anybody want to say I feel like we could have we

Could have won that and it wouldn’t have been a fluke like we would have won we would have took that championship and took took everything we earned so I don’t feel like it was a fluke but that’s just me what does winning feel like to you um winning is the best feeling like

It’s just it’s the ultimate feeling it’s everything you work for you don’t put in the the the long hours the early mornings for for nothing and to go out there and just not win so I feel like the I mean Winning is Everything for me yeah what does losing feel like to you

Uh losing feels like losing feels awful losing feels like [ __ ] losing feels like you just you wasted the work that you put in but um you know you have to go through some losses and get some wins so you understand that part yeah you had a

Quote another quote that I loved I love quotes on this show um you said I have trusted the plan my whole life no matter how hard or tough it gets Why Stop Now at what point in your NBA career has trusting the plan been the most diff difficult H

Um I mean I mean it’s times like right now obviously I mean it’s time after my second year like when we had the same record after my rookie year and we did the same thing like had the same record I feel like probably that time that was

Probably the toughest time like you just feel you you I was my Allstar started that year like play really well but I think we had just a little won two more games and it was like you just you feel different so I think that was probably a

Time for me you tend to or it seems like correct me if I’m wrong like how every day you’ll say another day another opportunity like are those things that you are telling yourself when you are in moments like this that seem like they’re much harder for sure for sure uh

Definitely like that’s that’s a that’s a model I live by like I don’t only post it just for for other people like I post it for myself like it’s another day another opportunity we get to wake up and be better like at something or whatever it is like I can be better at

Being a big brother I mean a better father like whatever it’s just being better at something that day and so that’s not only a reminder to every everybody else but it’s it also is a reminder to me yeah today what were you focused on being better at being better

At not moving this hand as much and starting to starting to throb a little bit so I’m trying to be better at not moving as much oh will the throbbing come like if it hit something yeah would yeah yeah like I’ll accidentally bump it against a door or something like I’ve

Done that twice already so oh no yeah yeah so I got to I’m getting back tomorrow to see her so okay yeah you got to keep it still I’ll be still um my favorite episode of the show that you have done from the point was actually when you so

Honestly talked about and just addressed people saying that you are a coach killer I think with Nate having vets like Gallow and I mean Lou will like the guys we had like it really helped him and it made us a really really good team and we

Were able to go to the Conference Finals and it just it just made us really good that year and that was it just fit that that that team fit Nate Y and I think that just is what what that year revolved around it people want to label

Me as a coach killer about that whole situation but really that’s all it is it’s just certain coaches fit certain teams and that’s what it was it don’t make the coach bad or good because I think it was one of the one of the first times that I

Really saw you just be very open publicly about something um I thought that you had a really great response to it obviously I want to win and I don’t I don’t know this process and you got to lose and you getting picks and you doing this next year waiting two years to be

Good like so like there’s times that I would be so competitive and so ready to win like that maybe we didn’t see eye to eye on a lot of lot of things and I don’t blame that necessarily on him or or me I feel like um maybe if it was

More communicated and I don’t necessarily feel like they needed to to communicate to me like the process or what it what it would be like but I feel like just me in my competitive terms like trusting a twoe three-year process is like it’s hard for me to understand

Right at the gate or just come into the league and just already know like I’m coming in I’m thinking we gonna make the playoffs we gonna win I’mma play hard I just led the country in points and assists in college like I had gotten us

To a top five I mean ranking at one point like I feel like we can turn things around quick and win so I feel like ly it would be just like we had times like we were really good but um I just sometime we just didn’t see eye to

Eye and it was just a situation but Nate it was like first time I ever had a coach that just let me really Rock and like put our team we had a a different type of group we had bonovich we had Clint now we had galinari and so it’s a different type of

Team than what Lloyd had and Nate just came in it was the first time ever we found the mismatch we find the mismatch and just made the game easier for me and it just made it easier and so I feel like we had a lot of moments where it

Was good and then we obviously went on the run and and then obviously when things change and people’s expectations change like you said it it’s a lot of the the fault and blame falls back on the coach and we both knew that and I feel like that we had a really good

Relationship um and it was just the Fallout from the the last couple series made it the way it was but yeah we uh we had really good relationships and um it was just certain times that certain things bumped heads and but that’s that’s common that’s like especially

Winning teams like winning teams have it more than the losing team yeah and and that’s what I feel like the common fan doesn’t really necessarily understand or know but I feel like we had really good relationships yeah like I feel like to your point a lot of people don’t

Understand that like the the conflict or the disagreements is actually a necessary part of getting better and to your point winning that’s the only way that you come out of the other side of these things with things that you can take with you is through having those conversations so I I completely

Understand that point I think that with how the media can be sometimes not to not include myself I know I am also a part of the media um but the media sometimes can paint things like talk talking about you being a coach killer and things like that which can cause

Dissent amongst maybe you and the coach or you and a team when those sort of stories would come out did you ever get the chance or opportunity to talk to your coaches or your former coaches about it um what part what do you mean like when Nate was let go and then

People a lot of the time were putting it on you did you get to have a conversation no and no and I never did like I I mean it’s sad but like I I still haven’t talked to Nate about it like I mean I don’t know how you felt

About it I don’t know what like and that’s another thing like you just never know how other people feel and and it’s tough being in this situation like being let go and certain certain things not necessarily being his fault like I get it but like that that’s why it’s tough

Cuz there’s also a lot of people in Atlanta media not a lot of people just a certain people um and they’re not even hear no more like who is started start stories and make things up like or even if they weren’t making things up it would that that would be what feed

Things that would be what feed feed the Atlanta people and feed them and make a lot of people talk and that’s what would start those those rumors and narratives about me and Nate or me and Lloyd like it would just make things bigger um than what they really were and when those are

The only stories really coming out of Atlanta throughout the year like you just paint this picture of me and like and who knows what how they feel about me or how what they what they felt about the certain situations but um I mean Quinn was at my wedding like yeah

Obviously like we we send invitations but it’s like it’s just it’s the business it’s like it’s part of it and uh there’s no hate there’s no hatred towards them they they should know that I mean from being around me they just know how competitive I am and winning

And they know it’s never hate so yeah no and it it certainly is a business and when you’re growing up and just watching the NBA you don’t really think about the business part of it but then you get in the league and you could argue it’s a little it’s probably more business than

It is Play No for sure for sure and I mean there’s a lot of things that like I used to want to want to be a coach after I was done but come on now like that’s I’m nah I’m being in this business just being like it’s just I definitely don’t

Want to be a coach at the NBA level like it’s just too much I mean stress and um to too much on them um and they don’t have necessar as much control as a lot of people think so um but they do as far

As who they have on the on the court and who they coaching but um but it would be tough be a coach if I I couldn’t do it okay so I know you’ve decided you don’t want to coach but just in this Fantasy Land indulge me yeah what kind of coach

Would you be what would your style be man I I would be like a laidback coach I would I would obviously put my imprint on where I needed to I would let my let my players play I mean I ID go get the players that I felt like I needed to win

A championship and I let them play and I I coach them where they needed to be coached but you got you got to let your players be confident like the best the best players they just the reason they the best is because they confident and so when you let them play confidently I

Mean it’s going to let them play the best okay so and you can’t say Quin cuz I know that’s your answer of course he is your favorite coach in the league as he should be but if you can’t say Quin who is another coach the NBA that you

Look at and think this is like this is a coach this is a great coach um I mean there’s a there’s a lot um I mean but I’ve known t for a long time like great pick yeah like if I was to to simulate my style of coaching like it’s the way

Too L is that’s probably coach is laidback let everybody let everybody hoop but call timeouts whenever they on run or something like I I’d be like that I love that and I mean they are they’re cooking right now I’m loving watching them uh growing up you would get to meet

A lot of NBA players take photos with a lot of different NBA players what encounter sticks out to you the most now um from back then yeah from back then uh I still talk about it um every now and then it it’s funny cuz like I didn’t know like some like chrisan like

Red bottoms were like littin lons yeah Lu Vuittons and I seen Russ walk out the arena one time I was outside at the game he had the spikes on and I was just like what are those and he was like you you’ll realize what they are one day and

Now looking back at it I know what they are now but it it’s crazy like there was some expensive shoes he had on that night that I said that to him yeah but now I could get those I could get a few a few if I wanted okay so I’ve obviously

Seen a bunch of photos so I know you met of course I know Dame I saw the photo of you and KD what am I missing who someone you met you didn’t get a photo of a lot that it meant a lot to

You man so like I was I was in OKC going to games when they were even the OKC Hornets so like when CP was there so like even guys like Speedy Claxton like were really cool to me like a lot of people now probably wouldn’t even know

Who that is but I had a jersey of his um somebody who I didn’t get a picture picture with I don’t know like I got a picture with a lot of my yeah but you were that age everyone always had a phone everyone always yeah that was the

Time you had little flip phones too so that was yeah that’s right when it started too no I love it one of my favorite things in the NBA is just seeing like the little kid NBA players with the big with the big ones with all

The Legends I love it um you of course as you know are the focal point of a lot of rumors at the moment so before I ask any of these questions I want to put a disclaimer and be very clear that the Hawks have not said anything and Trey

Has not requested a trade these are just reports so when you wake up and you go on your phone and you see all these rumors right how do you feel or what’s your first call like what take me into that moment what does that feel like for

You some of the best players ever been traded like so who am I to just be here mad or feeling unwanted or feeling a certain way like if like if you don’t want me then okay then I feel like somebody else somebody else will so um

That’s okay I but for me like I said I’m not in that place um I’m where my feet are right now and I’m recovering and rehabbing and we about to start rehabing so I’ll be all right okay so then I’ll just ask plainly do you believe that you

Will be in Atlanta next season hopefully like I mean when I was drafted here I I envisioned like I could have went to Kentucky I could have went to Kansas but I chose to be different and went to Oklahoma try to win a championship like

I I wanted to go there for my hometown be different they’ve never won a championship in Atlanta like doing that like me getting drafted there was felt like a felt like it was match made in heaven like this is something I want to do like I’m a I can I can defeat the

Odds here too so for me my my whole Envision was to always be here like my whole goal is Win here win championships bring people here with me and build this this Championship here and Dynasty here um but who knows like it’s year six now and

Who knows like for me like I I want that yeah okay so just so I can repeat what I’m saying to be clear for you these rumors are like it’s it’s not me you’re like I want to be in Atlanta mhm okay yeah I mean yeah you’ve heard it from

The Source like I I want to win but that that’s what you’ve heard too like I just want to win so if that’s that’s in Atlanta that’s that’s where I want to be that’s where I envision myself being but that’s that’s it that’s it yeah well

You know just as we talk about the business of sports I do want to know um because you are repped by one of the goats in Rich Paul what separates being repped by a guy like that versus any other person um I think I think a lot of

People I think we have a lot of similarities I think some people fear Him uh the way they fear me um I think in us going different routs and different ways that we can relate and I feel like I mean he’s he’s definitely one of the the best agents obviously

Ever um so it’s it’s a it’s a difference being being handled by someone like him for sure what was like the selling point to you about rich because I always hear guys tell me their stories about how rich was able to get them see me and

Rich’s story is different so like he he he came and got my guy Omar like my man Omar wils was my agent um from the jump and like I had I had known Rich for a long time he had known my my dad uh longer but

Really out of out of college it was more Omar for me like I was Omar and then uh Rich signed him and then um that’s how I got over the clutch and then it was it was match made in heaven then but Rich knew he had to sign Omar to bring me

Over CU and and Omar loved it like Omar loved loved Omar loved uh clutch loved rich now he’s with fanatics but he’s uh rich is the best for sure I love that also shout out to Omar I work with him a lot over at Fanatics he is absolutely

The best but yeah I’m like does Rich Paul ever take no for an answer I I feel like no yeah I don’t think so I don’t think so yeah he’s that has never uh crossed his mind uh a few more for you I just want to say I have never been to a

Hawks game where I did not see your dad and I love that that he is at every single one it is so clear that you all have a very special close relationship with you being a dad now what is something that your dad has always made you feel that you also want your

Children to always feel oh I mean that I can come to him with anything like with anything like from the best to the worst so I just want my my kids to always know that like I’m here for them with whatever I’m always going to have their back no

Matter if we had just got into an argument 30 minutes before if they break their leg they better be yelling for dad like because I’mma always be there for him like I’m a that’s that’s one thing that my dad has just always just been

There for me so if I could be that for my my kids that’s that’ll be enough for me when you’re playing in State Farm and like you look over and see him does that do something to you on the court for sure for sure uh he’s not as like into

It as he used to like I had to really he’s first off he’s walking around he’s like the mayor of that place I see him but not in his seat no yeah that’s what I’m saying he’s more chilled than what he used to be like I had to I had to to

To get on him like my second year we were losing and things he’s still making facial expressions doing certain things and I had to I had to get on him and and tell him that he can relax like I’m I’m here I can do it now I’m older now like

I can handle myself so he’s a lot more chill like you see him now like you said walking around the arena is different but he used to be a lot more into it for sure tell me of course in Atlanta there’s a lot of celebs that come out

For the games tell me your favorite like Courtside celeb story that we have never heard ooh oo cor side celeb story man I mean there’s a lot of celebrities that go through I don’t know if there’s one that and I’ll tell you why I’m asking

This because like if I’ll go to the game with quo he is talking to y’all like trying to tell you plays and I’m like they’re not listening to you see that’s the thing about quay quay needs to like chill cuz you can really like when you corze sometimes you can really hear what

Some of the fans are saying cour side even across like quy yelling like yo coach put blah ball in like take him out like he just sometimes and and really it turns up the opposing team like coming into as a as a road fan like even in

Certain Arenas like whenever uh a road celebrity or somebody on the court starts talking it usually turns us up or turns me up like and we obviously have it every game and so Quay is always turning somebody on the other team up or booy or somebody something like that’s

Why I respect change change be over there chilling until it’s a fourth quarter and him and Halo stand up and then they’ll start cheering and and going but yeah they’re chilling the the other rappers they are not that’s what I’m saying he was talking so much we

Went to like I think it was Hawks heat and he was talking so much [ __ ] to the Heat players I’m like they you why they won that’s what I’m saying you got to blame them sometimes for some of the ls you take I love it all right so before

We go uh ask everybody this question who has given you the biggest assist off the court um the biggest assist off the court um I don’t know I I have a lot of people my my family my my wife my my mom my dad I can’t just name one

Person I got to name my whole family my homies everybody my little brother so my sisters like everybody everybody holds me down so yeah you’re like it’s been a whole village to get everybody gives me an assist right here I love it well Trey you already know you my guy I appreciate

You coming and doing this you are fantastic good luck on the Pod I love listening and good luck recovering I’m looking forward to seeing you out there again appreciate it thank you thank you of Course

Atlanta Hawks All-Star Trae Young joins Taylor Rooks for exclusive convo where they discuss why scoring is easier in the NBA than other leagues, Trae’s take on the NBA All-Star Game, and if he would want to face-off vs. Caitlin Clark in a three-point contest. He also reacts to hearing his name in trade conversations, his desire to remain in Atlanta, explains why he wanted to start his own podcast, why “selfish” narrative bothers him, how he’s improved as a defender, why the Hawks’ ECF run wasn’t a fluke, disputing the ‘coach killer’ label, and favorite courtside celebrity moments.

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