Is Trae Young a Streetball Legend?

While LeBron James’s AAU layup line dunks have become hot take territory, there are some young NBA talents who have been raising hell on pretenders in summer-league hoops. Montrezl Harrell has been bringing the aggressive play that helped him become a Sixth Man of the Year finalist into streetball leagues such as the Drew League in L.A. and the Dyckman Basketball Tournament in New York City. 

But one young stud who is standing out amongst these pro hoopers is none other than Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young.

“Ice Trae” is what the good folks in Atlanta, like Quavo from Migos, have been calling him, thanks to his unlimited three-point shooting capabilities. He has lived up to the nickname and has become nothing short of brilliant during his rookie campaign as he finished second to the Mavericks’ Luka Dončić in this year’s Rookie of the Year race. His raw talents—namely, shot-making on the dribble and outstanding vision as a point guard—have helped garner comparisons to Stephen Curry and Steve Nash. But as great as those comparisons are, Young is on the prowl to create a legacy as the greatest shooter of all time.

This summer, he has taken massive steps toward reaching that goal. 

Already gaining 12 to 16 pounds this off-season, the long-range shooting bandit has been traveling to different cities handing out buckets.

Check out how he stood battle-tested against top-tier competition such as Dennis Smith Jr., Carmelo Anthony, Lance Stephenson and Donovan Mitchell.

This moment occurred just before he lit up the Drew League for 31 points and 12 assists against a stacked Public Enemy squad led by Montrezl Harrell. What was so impressive about Young’s performance was his ability to keep his ground and compete against one of the most feared streetball players in the world right now, reigning Drew League MVP Frank Nitty.

He followed that up with another solid performance at the AEBL, where he and his Hawks teammate John Collins destroyed defenders who stood in front of them.

With summer hoops winding down, the majority of the big-name streetball leagues will slowly transition into playoff play. This means the competition will be elevated and fans may be lucky enough to spot another rare NBA hooper showing up to shut the league down, just as Kevin Durant did when he dropped 66 points in a Rucker League playoff game. 

It’s possible Young will take a page out of KD’s book and bring his game to the Big Apple, as he teased fans about turning up and hooping in one of NYC’s hottest streetball leagues, the Dyckman Basketball League. We’ll see if he shows at the Nike Pro-Am tournament, which many NBA greats have hooped in, including Kemba Walker, Kyrie Irving, Lance Stephenson and Kyle Anderson.

“Ice Trae” is out to prove to the critics that he belongs and will be the face of a new generation of bucket getters in the league. 

Watch him work. 

"Ice Trae" is on the prowl to prove the critics that he belongs and will be the face of a new generation of bucket getters in the league. 

Watch him work. 

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