Hawks’ CJ McCollum has become the ‘new’ Trae Young for angry Knicks fans

A few years ago, the Atlanta Hawks had a villain on their roster. Star point guard Trae Young had a knack for getting under the skin of other teams’ fans. No fanbase hated Young more than the New York Knicks. In what became Young’s signature moment, the former Hawks guard traumatized Knicks fans with his stellar play and his constant taunting of the angry mob.

Five years after that now-iconic series, the Hawks have found a new villain against the Knicks. The start of their series saw the home crowd chant “F*** Trae Young” even though he’s been traded away this year. After Game 1, though, New York’s ire was suddenly directed at the player that Atlanta traded Young for: CJ McCollum.

Knicks fans went from “F—k Trae Young” to “F—k you CJ” in MSG

He didn’t seem too bothered pic.twitter.com/KgsjtVFxmu

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 21, 2026

McCollum, for his part, didn’t seem too bothered by the boo-birds, seemingly embracing the villain role too.

Knicks fans were probably angry at McCollum for his comments after the Hawks’ Game 1 loss. McCollum complained about a foul call against him when he accidentally hit Jalen Brunson’s groin, saying that the New York point guard exaggerated the contact.

“I shot a jumper, and Jalen [Brunson] thought we were at a Broadway show,” McCollum said “He acted it out until they reviewed it. It’s a normal jump shot, nothing there. Unnecessary, and I look forward to getting my [$2,500] back.”

McCollum walked back his comments later, admitting that there was indeed contact. It might have been too late, as the Knicks booed the Hawks guard relentlessly in Game 2 of the series. It seemed to work at first, as New York held a sizable lead throughout most of the game.

However, McCollum and the Hawks would have the last laugh. The star guard finished with 32 points on the day and led his team to a comeback win despite trailing by 12 points entering the final frame. Atlanta will now head back home with a tied series on their hands and a chance to come back to New York with a 3-1 series lead.

Game 3 will be played on Thursday.

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