Reflecting on his 4-1 first-round playoff defeat against the New York Knicks, former Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young says the rowdy fans were an added motivator in the best-of-7 series. Young took a shot at the Knicks fanbase during the playoffs last season, siding with the Oklahoma City Thunder fans amidst their Game 7 against the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals. Despite watching New York win the NBA Finals, Trae still had plenty to say.

Young said drawing fouls often got the best of Knicks fans, who disrespected the four-time All-Star guard, to Brooklyn Nets’ Michael Porter Jr., per the Curious Mike podcast.

“If you was on my team, you would appreciate it. My teammates love being in the bonus, getting fouled,” Young said. “You can’t just be aggressive with me. You can be physical, but when you start being overly physical, I use that to my advantage. At the same time, it puts you in foul trouble and gets us closer to the bonus. So, yeah, it definitely makes people mad… The best players in the world shoot the most free throws.”

Trae Young opens up to Michael Porter Jr. about how he became the “villain” for the New York Knicks and explains why foul-baiting is a real skill despite fans and even players getting mad at him for it 😮👀

“If you was on my team, you would appreciate it. My teammates love being… pic.twitter.com/ftluNbbiNq

— Slime🐍 (@ItsKingSlime) September 21, 2026

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Trae Young was nearly automatic from the free-throw line in the Hawks’ first-round series against the Knicks. He connected on 91.9% of his attempts from the charity stripe, including making 13-of-15 free throws in his 36-point performance in Game 5’s 103-89 blowout series-clincher.

After his trade to the Washington Wizards, the Hawks gave Young a fitting video tribute in his first game in Atlanta as a member of the visiting team. He led the Hawks to their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance in six years in 2021, where the Hawks were eliminated by the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks, 4-2.