The Atlanta Hawks just fired head coach Nate McMillan, and unsurprisingly, a lot of people are pinning the blame on Trae Young for their failure to thrive together.

When McMillan took over from Lloyd Pierce midway through the 2020-21 season, it looked like it was a match made in basketball heaven. The Hawks started playing better and winning more games, propelling the team to the fifth seed in the East before making their way to the Conference Finals–only losing to eventual NBA champions Milwaukee Bucks.

Unfortunately, the team has been on a downward spiral since then. They finished as the eighth seed in 2021-22 and suffered a first-round playoffs exit against the Miami Heat. This 2022-23, they are barely holding onto the eighth seed as well, with another early postseason exit predicted even if they make it that far.

While there are a lot of factors that have led to McMillan's firing, though, many couldn't help but assume that his relationship with Young that has since turned sour is the culprit for it. Their alleged beef has been well documented, starting with a reported verbal altercation earlier in the campaign. There was also a report about Young's disrespectful act towards the team when he chartered a private flight during last year's playoff run.

“3 coaches fired under Trae Young. It’s time for that fella to look in the mirror,” one critic said about McMillan's firing. Another one said, “Trae young clearly a locker room cancer & coach killer, time to push this agenda.”

Former NBA head coach George Karl summed up his thoughts in one simple tweet, hinting that Ice Trae might be too focused on himself rather than winning: “It's a Trae Young vs a Nikola Jokic League. Me first vs We first.”

One did defend Young, highlighting that it's not the first time McMillan has been fired for the same issues he's experiencing with the Hawks: “To say Trae young “killed” this coach when he got fired from Indiana for the same shit y'all just ridin d**k lmao.”

Here are more reactions to the development:

Young has yet to react to McMillan's firing and the backlash he's getting right now. But hey, perhaps having a fresh start with a new coach will motivate him once again to lead the Hawks to winning again.