Hawks star Trae Young joins LeBron James and Allen Iverson as the first rookie in NBA history to score 40 points in his latest game.
Trae Young doesn’t necessarily get the praise he deserves. While the Atlanta Hawks haven’t been the best team in recent years, Young has been one of the best point guards in the entire league. Between his scoring and passing abilities, Young is able to elevate his team and make everyone around him better.
The Hawks have been mediocre so far this season and now sit at 9-9 after defeating the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night. In a high-scoring game in the final rounds, the Hawks prevailed behind Young’s 45 points and 14 assists.
Now ranked 12th in the league in points and second in assists per game, Young continues to prove that he is one of the best playmakers and playmakers at the point guard position. Even better, Thursday night, he put himself in elite company with a Hall of Famer and a future Hall of Famer.
According to Eagles PR, this is the 12th game in Young’s career in which he has scored at least 40 points and 10 assists, tying him with Allen Iverson and LeBron James for the eighth-most games in NBA history.
It’s pretty remarkable to think about the success Young has had with the Hawks, especially since he’s currently in the middle of his sixth NBA season. LeBron has been in the league for 21 years, but Young has put him on the scoring and assist charts, the two things James is most famous for. As for Iverson, he is one of the best point guards in history and a Hall of Famer who played in the NBA for 14 years.
He may have been left out of the All-Star Game last season, but Young made it clear he’s now a top-20 player in the league. Whether it’s scoring, shooting or passing, the Hawks guard can do it all and help his team win games.
Thursday night’s 45 points and 14 assists were another reminder that Trae Young can lead the Hawks back to the playoffs.