Atlanta Hawks rookie point guard Trae Young thinks the friendly rivalry he has with Dallas Mavericks rookie Luka Doncic can be the next “Magic and Bird” rivalry.
During their playing days, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird always went at each other when the Lakers and Celtics played. While the two legends are friends off the court, when the ball went up, the Hall of Famers pulled no punches.
.@TheTraeYoung takes the @luka7doncic comparisons as a challenge to rep ATL, the @ATLHawks, his family, and himself. But he hopes they'll both end up being great one day.
Full #WingingItPod: https://t.co/3UAGhaDPsH pic.twitter.com/BjUuQLFrX0
— The Ringer (@ringer) March 4, 2019
Trae Young and Luka Doncic will forever be connected. They were traded for each other on draft day and are having stellar rookie seasons with their respective teams.
For the Mavs, Doncic is averaging 21.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game while shooting 43.5 percent from the field, 34.9 percent from beyond the arc and 72.1 percent from the free-throw line. Luke has 15 double-doubles and four triple-doubles on the season.
Young, meanwhile, has been on a tear lately and is slowly but surely making the 2019 Rookie of the Year race a competitive one. The guard is putting up 18.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 7.8 assists while shooting 41.6 percent overall, 33.9 percent from the 3-point line and 81.8 percent from the foul line.
The Hawks' floor general has recorded 21 double-doubles and became the first rookie in NBA history to record at least 150 points and 50 assists over a five-game span since the legendary Oscar Robertson did it back in 1961.