Trae Young was named to his fourth All-Star game, marking the first back-to-back nods of his career.
He made it the same way as last year, as an injury replacement for an Eastern Conference frontcourt player. Young’s omission from the initial roster never should have happened. It would have been a historic snub had it occurred.
Instead, Young can celebrate as he further cements his place in Hawks franchise history.
“Some things in life are just bigger than yourself…,” Young posted on X on February 10 in reaction to the news. “4X !”
Some things in life are just bigger than yourself…
— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) February 10, 2025
4X ! 🌟🌟🌟🌟 pic.twitter.com/d8W3FUj15L
“I’m a little surprised on the Trae Young thing,” Hall of Famer Charles Barkley said on TNT after the inital rosters were announced. “First of all, everybody [that made it] deserves to make it. I’m a little shocked Trae Young didn’t make it. Because he’s played probably, in my opinion, his best year.”
Young is averaging 23.5 points, 11.4 assists, and 3.2 rebounds this season. However, his three-point efficiency has not consistently been high, and he is shooting his third-worst mark at 34%.
However, Young is knocking down 42.1% of his triples in the clutch, the best mark among players who have attempted at least 1.5 deep looks and played more than two such games this season.
It is also the best clip of Young’s career in the clutch.
Young has also picked up his scoring in the last five games. During that span, the Hawks have adjusted to the loss of Jalen Johnson with strong performances from reserves Mouhamed Gueye and De’Andre Hunter, the latter of whom the Hawks traded at the deadline.
The deadline brought another change, with trade acquisition Georges Niang stepping into the starting 4 spot.
Young averaged 31.8 points on 55.4% eFG with 11.8 assists in those games.
“It’s no longer getting ‘snubbed,’” Young posted in January after being left off the initial roster. “It’s getting ‘Traed’ at this point Sorry to my fans.. it’ll change eventually!”
Trae Young joins Hawks royalty
Young has long been ensconced in Hawks franchise lore, but he has bolstered his standing with this latest honor.
He was already one of 13 Hawks players with at least three All-Star appearances in their respective careers. Now, Young becomes the 10th Hawks player in franchise history with at least four selections.
He is part of a veritable who’s who of franchise legends.
The list includes, among others, Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins, Lenny Wilkins, Bob Petit, the late Dikembe Mutombo, and more recent stars like Al Horford and Joe Johnson.