Emotions run high during professional sporting events, and Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young is an emotional player. In the Hawks’ Play-In Tournament matchup against the Orlando Magic, Young let his fiery side get the best of him.
Trailing the Magic 109-87 in the fourth quarter, Young chucked the basketball at an official following a foul call during a play in which he was hit in the face.
Young then proceeded to keep the ball from the officials, drawing a two techs and ejection.
Young just rage quit in a play-in game,” RealGM’s Wes Goldberg posted on X on April 15. “Don't care if you're down 20. That's a bad look. And I still don't know what he was complaining about the whole game.”
Hawks head coach Quin Snyder, who did not have his best game at the helm, said during his presser that Young addressed the matter in the locker room. Young explained himself postgame too.
On what he said to the team, Trae Young said: "I told him I was sticking up for the squad, and I'm not gonna let the refs frustrate me like that in our next game. I know we gotta win or go home next game and I'm gonna be ready." https://t.co/8gNIz5gDfl
— Lauren L. Williams (@WilliamsLaurenL) April 16, 2025
The four-time All-Star finished the game with 28 points, 6 assists, 2 rebounds, and 1 steal.
He shot 38.1% from the floor and was 1-for-5 from beyond the arc. He did turn the ball over just two times, though.
Trae Young criticized during broadcast
“He put the spin on it. Yeah, that's a bad look. No reason to do that,” TNT’s Brian Anderson said, recapping the situation. “The problem I have with it, there’s a lot of kids watching. There’s a lot of people watching. Just – you don’t need to do that. And don’t do that, if you’re a player watching this. Don’t dare do that.”
Former NBA head coach Stan Van Gundy, now also an analyst for TNT, took a lighter approach.
“Already ejected, and then decided to give some money to the NBA on the way out the door. I think that’s charitable of him. Because that's where that money goes, it goes to charity. So Trae said, ‘Let me give you a little bit more.”
Young has always had a contentious relationship with the officials, and he is not at risk of missing the Hawks’ next game against the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat’s Play-In game.
Still, at this stage, and with all that he has going off the court, this was a poor showing on it.
Worst of all, it is unlikely to change anything in Young’s favor when it comes to calls, especially when he still benefits often from the sudden stop movements that some would argue are a form of foul baiting.
At any rate, Young and the Hawks must now regroup with their season on the line. They have beaten preseason expectations in