Trae Young

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Born on September 19, 1998, in Lubbock, Texas, Trae is the son of Candice and Rayford Young, who played basketball at Texas Tech and professionally in Europe. He has a younger brother and two younger sisters. Young also has an uncle who played college basketball in the NAIA. Trae was raised in Pampa, Texas, by his mother and paternal grandparents, as his father played basketball overseas. Young attended Norman North High School in Norman, Oklahoma. In his sophomore year, he averaged 25 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds per game as he helped Norman North win the 2015 area championship and was named Oklahoma's Sophomore of the Year. During his junior year, he significantly improved his game, averaging 34.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists as he led the team to a 28–4 record, winning the regional title and placing second in the 2016 Oklahoma Class 6A championship game. In his senior year, he averaged 42.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game while shooting at a 48.9% rate. Young was considered one of the best players in the 2017 recruiting class by Scout.com, Rivals.com and ESPN. ESPN considered him the second-best point guard prospect that year, while the other websites considered him the third best. On February 16, 2017, Young committed to the Oklahoma Sooners. He was the University of Oklahoma's first five-star recruit since Tiny Gallon in 2010. To begin the 2017–18 season, on November 12, Young recorded 15 points, 10 assists and six rebounds in a win over Omaha. Three days after his college debut, he recorded 22 points and a then season-high 13 assists in a win over Ball State. On November 26, Young recorded a season-high 43 points and seven assists in a 90–80 win over Oregon. That game had his name draw multiple comparisons to Stephen Curry in terms of his playing style. On December 19, Young tied (with three others) the then-NCAA single-game assists record with 22, while also recording 26 points in a 105–68 win against Northwestern State. Throughout the season, Young rose from being a late first-round or a second-round pick to being a potential top-three pick for the 2018 NBA draft. He also garnered praise from both LeBron James and Stephen Curry for his season with Oklahoma. In January, his individual defense was rated as "poor". He had a season-high 43 points with 11 rebounds and seven assists in a 102–97 overtime win over TCU on January 13.

In Their Own Story

The arena hums with anticipation under the bright lights. Trae Young stands at the top of the key, ball secure in hand. The crowd holds its breath as he surveys the defense, eyes locking on a lane opening up. He drives, spins, and fires a pass that finds an open teammate for a layup. The roar erupts as the magic unfolds on the hardwood.

Reader's Guide

Trae Young currently plays for the Washington Wizards. He wears jersey number 3. He was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks with the fifth pick in the 2018 NBA draft and traded to the Atlanta Hawks on the same day. He played for the Atlanta Hawks from 2018 to 2026. He is a four-time NBA All-Star. He led the Hawks to three playoff runs, including a trip to the conference finals in 2021. He was a unanimous selection to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2019.

Did You Know?

• Young tied the then NCAA Division I single-game assists record with 22 in a 2017–18 game against Northwestern State.
• He is the only player to ever lead the NCAA in both points and assists in a single season.
• Young was traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the Atlanta Hawks on draft day in 2018 in exchange for the rights to Luka Dončić.
• He scored a career-high 50 points in a 129–124 win against the Miami Heat on February 20, 2020.
• Young recorded 48 points, 11 assists, and 7 rebounds in Game 1 of the 2021 Eastern Conference finals against the Milwaukee Bucks.