What can’t Trae Young do? From being a lethal shooter to an elite playmaker, there seem to be no holes in his offensive game. However, there are times when he gets dominated on the court by other superstars. This is due to a major disadvantage. But to no fault of his own! Just three seasons ago, Trae got bullied by Kevin Durant on both ends, in a heated game in Atlanta. Looking back on such instances, Young blamed one key physical attribute that kept him from entering the GOAT conversation.

As they say: You can’t teach height. And that is one department that Young has not been too blessed in as he is only 6’1”, five inches shorter than the league average. Yet, his heart and passion have helped him become one of the best players in the league. Addressing his one weakness, Trae took a dig at the taller players of the world, “I used to have this saying. I used to hate when I used to see guys that’s Tall and That’s All… They just out there, they tall and that’s all. They can finish and do all this stuff.” But what if Trae never faced the height disadvantage?

Well, he made a bold claim on Million Dollaz Worth of Game, “I mean, if I was 6’8, I feel like I would be the best player to ever play this game. Just because of my mentality and the way I play, just the smartness I have on this game.” Yes, Young is already a career 25.5-point scorer who can pull up from the logo any time he wants. Moreover, he also averaged 10.8 assists last season, highlighting his playmaking skills on a mediocre Hawks team. Now add six to seven more inches to his versatile skillset. He very well could have been the most unstoppable player in the league. But sadly, that’s not the reality as Trae remarked, “I feel like there’s a lot I can bring, but there’s a lot of deficiencies coz like I’m 6’2, 6’1. Like it’s tough and I’m playing in a big man’s game.” And his deficiencies were on display during his encounter with Kevin Durant.

When Kevin Durant silenced Trae Young and exposed his weakness

While KD was still playing for the Brooklyn Nets, he faced Trae Young three years ago. And Durant is not your ordinary “Tall and That’s all” athlete. At 6’11”, Durant is one of the most skilled players in league history. Sure enough, that proved a huge advantage for The Slim Reaper. He completely shut Trae down and blocked his shots and layup attempts multiple times during that game. Moreover, the physicality even led to an altercation as the two got into a bit of a shoving match.

Addressing the altercation after the game, Durant said, “I was a little too physical there with that action & I kind of pushed him a bit. He wanted me to get up out of his space & I respect that. Just a part of the game. Nothing personal, it’s all competition.” Meanwhile, the Hawks superstar responded with, “Idols become your rivals.” And that was not the only time KD got the better of the 6’1” guard as he has a 7-3 winning record over Young. Had Trae been a few inches taller, the story could have been a lot different. Do you agree?