Trae Young Draws Motivation From Thunder’s Finals Run, Eyes Similar Rise With Hawks

The Hawks guard, a Norman, Oklahoma native and former Oklahoma Sooner, admitted this week that seeing the Thunder reach the NBA Finals has only intensified his own desire to bring a championship to Atlanta.

“It’s even more motivating for me,” Young said at a sponsor event in Oklahoma City, via Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I want to win a championship bad. But the fact that it’s in my city and I’m just watching it now — if you thought I wanted it bad before, it’s even worse now.”

Young said he hopes that next June he’ll be back in Oklahoma City, but hey man, not as a guest.

“Hopefully we’re here playing the Thunder next year, and I’m not having this (event) here in OKC,” he added. “We have this party there in Atlanta. I love Atlanta.”

Atlanta Looks to Rebuild Around Young

The Hawks have struggled to build a consistent contender around Young since his arrival in 2018. Despite a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021, Atlanta hasn’t won more than 43 games in a season during Young’s tenure and missed the playoffs entirely the past two years.

Still, the All-Star point guard remains bullish on the franchise’s direction, pointing to a roster full of emerging talent and a critical offseason ahead.

“We had the No. 1 pick (Zaccharie Risacher) last year that made strides and almost won Rookie of the Year, got second,” Young said. “We have a lot of young, young, really good players. We have a great coach. We have a lot of stuff, and we have a big summer ahead, for sure.”

That “big summer” may involve roster shakeups as the Hawks look to retool and maximize the prime years of their franchise cornerstone. Trade speculation has followed the team since the deadline, with Young and several others surfacing in rumors. As an aside, Atlanta still needs to hire a head of basketball operations after firing Landry Fields after the season.

For now, though, Young’s focus is clear. He aims to chase the same level of success that his hometown Thunder are tasting.

“I love OKC,” Young said, “but I’m ready to bring that kind of energy to Atlanta.”