NBA Update: Trae Young Sends Luka Doncic Message As Rivalry Intensifies

Trae Young envisions a longtime rivalry with fellow NBA star Luka Doncic.

The smoke has finally settled at American Airlines Arena after the Dallas Mavericks managed to steal a crucial 118-117 win over the Atlanta Hawks Friday.

After the game, Hawks star Young was pinned down by reporters to talk about the growing rivalry between him and Dallas Mavericks' Doncic. According to the three-year NBA veteran, there will be more “big battles” between him and Doncic in the coming years and he urged his peer to stay healthy in the process.

“We have gotten to play with each other four times, its been good [I] really just hope he stays healthy, I hope I stay healthy and we both continue to do really well for our teams and take our teams to the next level,” Young said in a post-game conference. “That’s all we try to do.”

“He’s been balling, doing his thing, I mean it’s fun competing as a really good player and we’ll have a lot more match-ups obviously,” he continued. “It’s gonna be fun.”

In the 2018 NBA Draft pick, the Hawks selected Doncic only to immediately trade him to the Mavs for Young. Nearly three years after the said trade, the two promising NBA stars have ultimately become the face of their respective teams.

Weighing in on the pair’s rivalry, NBA broadcaster Ros Gold-Onwude acknowledged that basketball fans might get to witness Young vs. Doncic for possibly more than a decade.

“It’s funny listening to Trae [Young] in the intro (of the Mavs vs. Hawks game) saying ‘we’re going to be compared until we’re retired’ and I think that’s absolutely right,” Gold-Onwude said on ESPN’s "Hoop Streams." “They’re forever intertwined through the trade that happened for each other in the 2018 draft.”

“But if I have to, I’m going to say I’m going with Luka [Doncic],” she continued. “He just seems to have more upside as transcendent player we’re obviously talking about him as an MVP candidate.”

Gold-Onwude further pointed out that though Doncic appears to be having a slightly better NBA career than Young at the moment, the Hawks and the Mavs were both winners, having signed an exceptional player in the said trade.

“But neither team lost in this trade, or came out with nothing,” the former Stanford women’s basketball star explained. “Just look at this season statistically, both Luka and Trae are actually production wise very similar as far as points (and) assists, actually Trae is having a more efficient shooting season this year than Luka.”