NORMAN, OK — Back in Norman, Oklahoma, Atlanta Hawks All-Star Trae Young is giving back to his community by collaborating with his Zamst sponsor in hosting a kids basketball camp at his Young Family Athletic Center (YFAC). Ahead of his eighth season, Young has championship aspirations for the 2025-26 Hawks. He also wanted to educate kids on the importance of taking care of their bodies, starting at a young age.
It's been five years since Young started using Zamst, a top-quality sports brace for athletes, which Trae says is a catalyst for avoiding ankle injuries and prolonging his NBA career.
“A lot of people are turned off by braces because of the way they look and things like that, and how bulky they can be, but I feel like these aren't the normal type of braces,” Young tells ClutchPoints. “They're made for athletes.”
Zamst gives the four-time All-Star the flexibility needed to move swiftly past defenders, coupled with the mobile support to recover from potentially devastating injuries.
“To be honest, I would roll my ankles too many times,” Young said of his early years in the NBA. “I always wore tape since high school. I'd just tape my ankle. But it felt like when you're in the NBA and you play so many games, even younger in high school and college, I feel like, if I had known the knowledge about how tape can wear down as the game goes on, I probably would have worn ankle braces earlier. But when I started shooting floaters and landing on big men's feet and rolling my ankle, I was like, ‘I didn't want to do this anymore.'
“Five years now. Even when I do it now, accidentally roll my ankle, the brace will catch it. I might have a bruise there, but it's definitely not me missing a game and things like that. The brace has been big for me. I don't work out or anything without it,” Young concluded.
Why hosting camp is ‘a dream come true' for Hawks' Trae Young
For Hawks All-Star Trae Young, being surrounded by young basketball players in his hometown is a nostalgic experience. After watching his Oklahoma alma mater face Michigan, Young stayed in Norman to spend time with kids at the Trae Young Basketball Camp at his Young Family Athletic Center. It's a facility funded by his Trae Young Family Foundation and opened to the public in 2024.
“It's a dream come true, having all these little kids come into my own facility,” Young said. “I dreamed of having this when I was a kid, when I was going to NBA players' camps, and seeing the facilities moved me. So, it's unreal for sure.”
Trae Young arrives at the Young Family Athletic Center (YFAC) for Trae Young Basketball Camp here in Norman, OK pic.twitter.com/Qa6j2Fxlvf
— Josue Pavón (@Joe_Sway) September 7, 2025
For Young, his message to youth basketball players is simple: keep playing and have fun.
“This game can take you so much further. Being stressed as a kid about your future and not knowing what it's going to be like with basketball, and things like that,” Young said. “For me, I was so locked in as a kid, getting better every day, and having fun with my friends when I was with them. Whether it was at the court or at the playground or playing another sport, just having fun will take you a lot further than feeling some type of pressure on yourself for not knowing the future.”
Ahead of 2025-26, as part of a Hawks roster Young believes can compete for a championship, he's reminded of his hometown roots before pursuing his one NBA goal of winning a title.
Zamst is a proud sponsor of Trae Young. For more information about Zamst and how they provide braces and supports for athletes, visit Zamst.us.
