“Trae Young has gone from a stat machine to a winner,” said Isiah Thomas on NBA TV’s GameTime. At just 26, Young is creating scoring opportunities for his teammates while shouldering the tough shots himself. This selflessness, though, impacts his individual stats. He won’t mind much, as he has played a pivotal part in helping his team secure wins. But for the Knickerbockers, he has been a menace.

His rivalry with the Knicks fans has been very intense. Yesterday the Hawks beat Jalen Brunson and Co. to knock them out of the NBA Cup. As the clock wound down Wednesday night, Ice Trae stood over New York’s center-court logo and mimicked rolling dice, turning the moment into his own show.

And it’s not just the NBA that has witnessed this, this opinion of him has now crossed the boundaries of sports. WWE legend Triple H featuring on theroommatesshow, expressed his observation of Young, and it fit in like a glove with the consensus. Triple H was answering a segment on which NBA players would make the best WWE stars. He remembered Trae saying, “I think what’s the kid from Atlanta? Small dude?”

He then further explained, “When I went and did the stuff with Joel, like he was playing and like I, he seemed like an irritant to everybody. Like I remember Steph and I were there together and we were sitting and I was like everything he did like on the way back. He was just sticking up somebody’s a**.”

Triple H himself was a big menace in the WWE. So he knows what he’s talking about. If he calls you an irritant, then you should pace yourself. But at this stage of his career, the 6′ 1″ guard prioritizes winning over flashy stats, aiming to boost his shot at lifting the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

The Hawks flip the script, Trae Young leads them to the NBA Cup semifinals

The Hawks’ season got off to a rocky start, with disappointing losses to several teams that weren’t even above .500. But despite those early missteps, they managed to grab big wins over strong contenders like the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks in the first few weeks.

Everything changed toward the end of November, though. The turning point came with a 135-124 win against the Cleveland Cavaliers, a game that seemed to flip their momentum completely. Since that victory, Atlanta hasn’t just climbed higher in the standings—they’ve also earned a spot in the NBA Cup Semifinals, showing they’re ready to compete on a bigger stage.

Leading the charge has been Trae, whose recent performances have been all about lifting his team. Over his last eight outings, Young hasn’t been padding his scoring numbers, averaging a modest 19 points per game. Instead, his focus has shifted to creating opportunities for others, reflected in his impressive 12.7 assists per game. That unselfish approach has been instrumental in sparking the Hawks’ resurgence.

If Ice Trae keeps playing like this, there’s a good chance he’ll snag his fourth All-Star selection. He’s even positioning himself as a serious contender for the league’s assists title. For a player who’s long been known for his scoring, this new style might just be the secret sauce Atlanta needed.