Trae Young Davis Bertans Hawks
Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks drives against Troy Brown Jr. #6 and Davis Bertans #42 of the Washington Wizards in the second half at State Farm Arena on January 26, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

KEY POINTS

  • Trae Young is known for nutmegging his opponents 
  • Young recently attempted it on veteran Trevor Ariza who didn't find the move well
  • Young shared that he won't stop doing it as he's been nutmegging opponents his whole life 

Trae Young is one of the league’s booming stars. The Atlanta Hawks point guard has impressed the entire world with his elite shooting from beyond the arc. He has also caught everyone’s attention with his crafty playmaking and ball handling. One move he’s repeatedly done that has constantly made every highlight video is how he nutmegs his opponents. Young dribbles the ball between a defender’s legs, ensuing a resounding reaction from the crowd.

He’s been doing that move since his days in high school as a way of getting through the defenders and finishing for a bucket. But his most recent nutmeg stirred some noise and criticism as he tried the move on veteran and former champion Trevor Ariza.

As Young attempted the highlight play, Ariza checked the sophomore guard with a hard foul. Ariza then pulled Young after the game and had some words for the young All-Star. The two dapped it up as sportsmen but Ariza made sure he made his presence known as a veteran. Per ESPN, Ariza told Young to not do that again to him. “I’m not with the funnies. I don’t like the funnies.”

Despite that, Young recently shared that he won’t stop doing the move. “It’s entertainment. It ain’t gotta be serious 24/7,” he said. He later then tweeted that he’s been doing it his whole life and sees no reason in stopping. “Just close your legs,” his tweet said.

Young is having a stellar start to his career as he already achieved an All-Star berth in just his second year in the league. He is averaging close to 30 points per game while averaging 9.3 assists per outing. He is also shooting 43.9% from the field with 36% from beyond the arc.

The Atlanta Hawks, however, are near the bottom of the standings of the Eastern Conference. They are 14th in their conference with a record of 19-44. While a postseason push is out of the question this year, they still have bright spots in their team like John Collins who is averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds per outing. Clint Capela is also a valuable addition to their team as an asset in the frontcourt.

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