Trae Young has had a chip on his shoulder since the day he was drafted in 2018 and traded to the Atlanta Hawks from the Dallas Mavericks for Luka Doncic.
Yet, it hasn’t stopped him from being the show-stopping, lights-out player that he is. Last year, he averaged 29.6 points and 9.3 assists per game, earning him the chance to be an All-Star in only his second year as a pro. However, not everyone is a fan of his game.
Steve Nash & Trae Young Have War of Words
Earlier this season Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash criticized the third-year guard for his style of play during a game against the All-Star and his Atlanta Hawks.
After Young drew a foul, the camera pans to an irate Nash complaining to the ref, saying, “That’s not basketball.”
“That’s not basketball” – Steve Nash
Trae Young was drawing cheap fouls and Steve Nash was tired of seeing it, not being able to do anything about it. Coach Nash had to have a word with this ref. Talk heavy coach. #WeGoHard – @Keith_McPherson
Young hasn’t been putting up the same numbers points-wise this season, but his assists numbers are almost identical to the previous seasons. That may have something to do with the man he claims to model his game after.
“I learned a lot about drawing fouls from [Steve Nash]. If he says it’s not basketball, he must’ve been saying it about himself because he’s done it a couple of times throughout his career and was so successful,” Young said last month via Bleacher Report.
Trae Young Models His Game After Steve Nash’s
People get so caught up in the awe of his range, Young often gets compared to the likes of 2016 unanimous MVP Stephen Curry. The ability to create his own shot and score from beyond the arc is indeed impressive, even though he only shoots about 34% from the three-point line this year. Despite all the similarities between him and Curry, Young still tries to model his game after the Hall of Famer.
“I try to be Steve Nash more than Steph,” Young said in an interview with Shams Charania via Dime Uproxx. “I do blend Nash and Steph a lot, but my favorite player growing up was Steve Nash.”
“I get a lot of Steph comparisons, and I agree I do have a few attributes that are similar to Steph. But Steve Nash is a Hall of Famer, though, and Steph will be one day, too. I know I always have to show and prove my passing ability. I have to get better on that aspect, and I definitely work on that a lot,” Young said.
Steve Nash has had a career that is inspiring to many, earning seven All-NBA honors, eight all-star appearances, and most notably, two MVP awards. While he was an outstanding player throughout his career, Nash admits that coaching is an entirely different ball game.
“It’s a great experience for me to kind of get my feet wet and understand the rhythm of coaching,” Nash said via Newsday It’s going to be a process for me, obviously, to be totally comfortable over there. But I’m excited, and I feel really proud of the guys the way they’ve approached camp.”
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All-Star Snub Has Strong Words For Nets’ Head Coach Steve Nash