"They would be a god": Gilbert Arenas is perplexed why Trae Young is not getting the respect he deserves after owning New York

Trae Young put on a legendary show against the New York Knicks in the first playoff series of his NBA career. “Ice Trae” grabbed the headlines of the postseason in 2021 by leading the Atlanta Hawks to upset the Knicks.

The performance, however, only made the diminutive point guard a villain in the eyes of many basketball fans. Former NBA player Gilbert Arenas had this to say about how Young is viewed by other hoops fanatics (via New York Basketball):

"You know what's crazy about that New York series? If that was any other player–if Luka did that to NY Knicks – they would be a god.

“It's crazy how you went into the Garden & really f**ked them up… Most of [the] media is NY. …They personally took offense to what you did in the Garden.”

Trae Young was in his third season in the NBA when he led the Atlanta Hawks to the 2021 playoffs. Atlanta’s last postseason appearance before that was in 2017 when they lost in six games to the Washington Wizards.

The New York Knicks, during that year, had also returned to the playoffs after an eight-year absence. Game 1 at Madison Square Garden, particularly after the pandemic was over, was rowdy and electric.

New York missed 14 of their first 17 shots, which turned the already restless crowd into a hostile bunch. They directed their frustrations at Trae Young for his unflappable playoff debut. For nearly the entire game, the MSG crowd chanted “F**k Trae Young!”

The former Oklahoma standout, however, had the last laugh. He drove into the heart of the Knicks' defense and nailed a runner with 0.9 seconds left in the game. The Hawks won 107-105 in the end and ushered in the new era of Young’s seeming villainy against New York.

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Trae Young closed out the New York Knicks in Reggie Miller-like fashion

Young's 2021 playoff series against the Knicks reminded fans of Reggie Miller's exploits in New York.

Before Trae Young, the legendary Indiana Pacers shooting guard Reggie Miller was the New York Knicks fans’ favorite villain. Several of “Uncle Reggie’s” iconic performances were on full display at MSG during his Hall of Fame career.

In Game 5 against the Knicks, “Ice Trae” took on that role. He embraced the profane chants and dished back when he had the chance. Young ended the night with 36 points, nine assists, four rebounds and two steals.

After a deep three that were the nails in the Knicks’ coffin, Young turned to the crowd and bowed. Spike Lee and the Garden crowd could only look at him in frustration and anger.