While the NBA world’s attention remains fixed on the blockbuster Finals series, Trae Young unexpectedly tilts the spotlight back toward himself. Ironically, Knicks fans never really forgot Young in the first place. They erupt into “F–k Trae Young” chants on every possible occasion. Yet, the veteran point guard believes that larger NBA narratives have overlooked him.

Now entering his ninth year in the league, representing the Washington Wizards, Young appeared determined to flip the narrative. Notably, he boldly predicted the capital side to finish at the top of the Eastern Conference.

“This is the most slept on I’ve been in my whole life,” Young said on the Pivot Podcast on Tuesday. “Even when I was in high school, I wasn’t this slept on.”

He reflected on how the feeling of being overlooked has been chasing him in the NBA. But that has also been the case since high school.

“I felt like I could have been top five in my class. I should have been in the top 10. No. 1 point guard, but I was number four, so I was slept on a little bit, maybe, but this, it’s starting to feel a certain way.”

At Norman North, Young faced skepticism despite his explosive numbers. He averaged 42.8 ppg in his senior year despite the size and athleticism concerns. The recruiters ranked him below Colin Sexton and Trevon Duval. While he proved them wrong with his brilliance in college, he has found himself in a similar situation yet again. However, Young believed that it had more to do with the changing narratives around the league rather than the talent involved.  

“I know there’s a lot of recency bias that goes in the media,” Young said. “Imagine the Wizards are the number one team in the East next year. What people are gonna be saying.”

It’s fair to say that Ice Trae faded away amid the media’s recency bias. Over the last year, fans haven’t seen much of him. He played only 15 games last season, dealing with multiple injuries. On top of that, the Hawks traded him to the Wizards after an eight-season-long union. It might have changed fans’ perceptions, who once viewed him as a franchise cornerstone.

At the same time, with the emergence of guards like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Tyrese Haliburton, and Jalen Brunson, narratives surrounding elite guards kept shifting.

Nevertheless, Trae Young believes in setting things right.

Trae Young has a message for the naysayers

After blaming the media’s recency bias for overlooking him, Trae Young pivoted toward what is to come in the next season. 

“Yes, I haven’t played very much in a year and a half because of some injuries and the trade and things like that, but trust me, I’m probably just entering my prime,” Young said, sounding highly confident. 

“The way people talk about me is just funny, and I just can’t wait to go out there and play. And I know that’s what changes the narrative. So, I can’t necessarily get caught up in what people think right now. I gotta go out there and do it again.”

That confidence could become the major driving force for the Wizards’ hopes moving forward. The team has spent the last few years trapped in its rebuilding cycle. Heading into the 2026-27 season, the Wizards have a fresh, lethal look. 

While Young’s prediction to top the East may sound ambitious, it appears that the team has enough talent to surprise the league. Firstly, the team has roped in two veterans, Young and Anthony Davis. One with deep playoff experience and one with championship experience.

Apart from that, they have young talents that have gone through the development phase, like Alex Sarr and Bilal Coulibaly. On top of that, they have the 2026 No.1 draft pick joining the roster.

 Young sees the opportunity to get back into the big conversations, yet again!