Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young has established a high profile for himself in both NBA and pop culture circles alike. Recording artist Drake recently performed at the Hawks' home of State Farm Arena, and the rapper was sure to shout out Young, who was in attendance for the concert.
“Of course, make some noise for Trae Young in here one time tonight,” said Drake. “Real ATL s—, what's up?”
Young was then shown on the arena's big screen, with fans in attendance cheering for the Hawks' star point guard.
Trae Young and the Hawks are looking to bounce back after two straight early postseason exits, which occurred on the heels of 2021's magical run all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Although Young's individual stats have remained near the top of the NBA leaderboard, in 2023 he was largely unable to establish synergy with shooting guard Dejounte Murray, who Atlanta acquired via a trade with the San Antonio Spurs.
Atlanta did show some noticeable improvement after hiring Quin Snyder to coach the team midway through the season, but that wasn't enough to overcome a more talented Boston Celtics squad in the first round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs.
Although Young has consistently denied trade rumors and is inked under contract to stay in Atlanta long-term, Hawks fans will definitely hope to see a marked improvement in 2023-24 on the previous two years' frustration, or things could really start to turn sour for what was once one of the NBA's most promising young teams.