Trae Young‘s appearance in New York can’t be without controversy. The former Hawks guard earned the title of ‘Villain’ and has been doing justice to it. Beefing with the current Mayor or trolling the Knicks fans through social media, Young does it all.

He took it to another level at the 2026 Fanatics Fest. Since the event was held at the Javits Center in New York City, the fans booed him when he entered the arena. Then, as part of his WWE Superstar entrance, he chose the theme song of Rey Mysterio, the biggest underdog in the history of professional wrestling. While fans booed him, he would grab a Jalen Brunson jersey and start ripping it.

“He’s ripping it asunder! Here’s the problem. He can’t get through it.” The commentators caught Trae Young’s failed attempt. “He can’t do it. He doesn’t have good leverage. The thing is, if you know you’re doing this ahead of time, you have to cut it. You’ve got to pre-rip it.”

Even though the now-Wizards guard didn’t fully rip the jersey, he certainly enjoyed the moment. It’s been the theme during his recent visit to New York. Recently, the 27-year-old even uploaded an Instagram story riding through the busy NYC traffic.

The main reason for the upload was him watching his 2021 playoff highlights as he led the Hawks past the Knicks in the first round, which began his villain era.

He tweeted out his response about having fun bantering with the Knicks fans. “I just be trolling sometimes😂😂 happy for some of my boys over there fr!🫡🙏🏽.”

Young is 11-19 against the Knicks, including the playoffs, and 7-18 against them without that 2021 playoff series. But it has not stopped the four-time All-Star from talking big about his Eastern Conference rivals whenever the opportunity arises.

Fans can’t believe what Trae Young did

The disbelief from the netizens took over. While the former Hawks guard is truly a villain, tearing the jersey of Knicks captain and their Finals MVP Jalen Brunson was truly unexpected. Fans even mocked the failed attempt to rip the jersey.

“Trae Young pulled up to Fanatics Fest with a Jalen Brunson jersey, which he tried to rip, but couldn’t. Hilarious.”

Even during this year’s playoffs, while Trae Young never faced the Knicks, he was still part of the debate. It started when the current NYC Mayor, Zohran Mamdani, took a shot.

“I would say that I blame Trae Young. And I think it’s always important to blame Trae Young.”

The four-time All-Star did send a reply then, but his current display topped that.

“OH MY GOD Trae Young ripped a Jalen Brunson jersey there in New York, with a ton of Knicks fans at the event 😭😭😭.” Another also shared the same sentiment. “TRAE YOUNG RIPPED JALEN BRUNSON’S JERSEY AT FANATICS FEST 😳😭 THE TRAE VS KNICKS BEEF IS HEATING UP.”

At the time, Trae Young tweeted, “Remember what happened the last time the Mayor of that City had my name in his mouth during a time like this… 😂✋🏽.” It was a callback to 2021 when Bill de Blasio was the mayor.

His message to then-Hawks guard was to “stop hunting for fouls,” and it concluded with “I think the Knicks are going to teach you a lesson.”

But it was Young who came out on top. And since then, he has been living and breathing as the true villain of the Knicks. So, the display at Fanatics Fest was just another attempt.

Even Fanatics tweeted that it should lead to a great regular-season matchup against the Knicks. “This is spicy!! Start the season immediately 🍿.”

Another fan continued, adding the importance of this rivalry and how Adam Silver should cash in on it. “If you want to see New York locked in and the fans create a crazy atmosphere, have Trae Young play on opening night against the Knicks. It just makes perfect sense.”

Let’s not forget they have AJ Dybantsa, who was just drafted as the number one overall pick.

So, not only will it be Trae Young versus New York. It will also include the No. 1 overall pick of the 2026 Draft against the reigning NBA champions.