Ever since drafted by the Dallas Mavericks and traded to the Atlanta Hawks for Luka Doncic, Trae Young has become a cornerstone of the franchise. He became an instant hit with the Atlanta crowd due to his court exploits. But the two-time All-Star also became a villain in the process.

Young has single-handedly managed to lead the Atlanta Hawks to the Eastern Conference Finals. However, after being labeled as a young rising star, Young was quickly perceived as a ‘villain’ in the NBA. The 6’1 point guard lately talked about the scrutiny he had to face over time.

Trae Young talks about dealing with constant adversity

Trae Young recently made an appearance on Golden State Warriors star forward, Draymond Green’s show. The two talked about multiple aspects of the game and eventually Green addressed an issue that Young has faced for the past few years.

One thing Draymond Green brought up was the chip on the shoulder that Young used to play with. And at first, people appreciated that. However, things changed when Young landed a five-year $215,159,700 max contract with the Hawks.

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So, Young was asked how he dealt with the things that helped him succeed, which were now being used against him. Young replied, “That’s definitely been my experience from looking at it. I thought of this weird saying like Spiderman, ‘With great power, comes great responsibility’.”

“I think, me getting that max contract came with a lot of responsibility. And for me, that’s how I look at it. No matter what someone else says about me or expects me to do for myself or for my team. Nobody has higher expectations than me.”

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Young also went on to say, “I did get the max but my mindset never changed. I want more. And once I get that, what came with it. The more scrutiny, the more expectations rise when you get that type of stuff. I understand that and I accept it.”

How Young became a villain

The 6’1 All-Star was not always perceived as one of the villains in the NBA. It came after the 2021 playoffs when Young and the rest of the squad took down the New York Knicks in the first round.

That only grew when Trae Young and the Hawks also defeated the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round as well. And since then, Young has been perceived as a villain in the league.

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His tag isn’t about any dirty antics but due to his sheer will to take adversity head-on and outperform the other team.