“Idols become your rivals” - Trae Young reacts after exchange with Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant was all over Trae Young in the fourth quarter when the Atlanta Hawks hosted the Brooklyn Nets at State Farm Arena.

Kevin Durant took on the job of guarding Trae Young in the fourth quarter and he got a bit too physical for the point guard's liking. He was caught hugging Young at one point. The close proximity led to a bit of pushing at one point which caused Trae to react.

Both players got in each other's faces as Trae Young had had enough. But it did not go past that, as he was letting Kevin Durant know he did not appreciate the physicality.

Speaking about the incident post-game, Kevin Durant said these things happen and there was no personal beef.

“I was a little too physical there with that action, and I kind of pushed him a bit. He wanted me to get up out of his space and I respect that. Just a part of the game. Nothing personal, it's all competition.”

These are the kind of plays that start rivalries, but not with these two. Trae Young and Kevin Durant had a relationship even before the Hawks guard got into the NBA. While a heated exchange that grows into a rivalry is good for TV, that is not the case in this scenario.

Young took to Twitter to give his opinion on the exchange with Kevin Durant. He replied with a tweet, saying:

"Idols become your rivals. #AlwaysLove"

Kevin Durant says he has known Trae Young since he was ten years old. It explains why Young sees him as one of his idols. Nonetheless, there is no tension between the two players, as they have both squashed any rumors of malice.

Kevin Durant's antics worked as the Nets won the game 113-105. There was not much they could do to stop Trae Young, who registered 31 points, seven rebounds and ten assists. But the numerous scoring options on the Nets roster gave them the advantage. Kevin Durant finished the game with 31 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists.

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When will Kevin Durant and Trae Young face off again in the 2021-22 season?

Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks

The Nets and Hawks have already met twice this season, and both games ended in a win for the Brooklyn team. Trae Young scored and created at a high clip in both games, but Kevin Durant has always asserted his dominance.

Both teams will meet one last time towards the end of the season in April. By then, their fate in playoff qualification might already have been decided. However, there is a chance both teams will still have their best players on the floor in search of favorable seeding.

Trae Young has been the standout player for the Hawks and has played a key role in the team's run so far. A 9th place ranking in the Eastern Conference standings is disappointing, especially for a team that reached the conference finals last season. But thanks to Trae, the Hawks have the second-best offense in the league with an offensive rating of 114.0.

The Nets have also been disappointing by their standards, even though they sit atop the Eastern Conference standings with an 18-8 record. More was expected of the team, but the loss of Kyrie Irving has impacted their run. Kevin Durant has had to take over the bulk of the workload in Irving's absence.

Trae Young has scored more total points than Kevin Durant, but on average, KD is leading the league with 28.5 points per game. Both players have undoubtedly been the spark for their teams, for without them, both teams would have worse records.