In the waning moments of Game 5 of their first round series against the Boston Celtics, Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young was not feeling the love from fans in TD Garden. As Young was leading the Hawks to a comeback victory, the fans filled the arena with an R-rated chant directed toward him.
As Young stood on the free-throw line with under two minutes left in the game, TD Garden serenaded him with chants of "F--- Trae Young." That isn't new for Young, who heard those same chants at Madison Square Garden during the 2021 NBA Playoffs.
Young was asked about the chants in his postgame press conference, and he noted that Celtics fans waited a little longer to start jeering him than Knicks fans did. Young also said he sees it as a sign of "respect" from opposing fans.
"It didn't feel like the Knicks series," Young said. "In the Knicks series, it started at 10 minutes in the first quarter. It was a lot different from tonight. When people do that, I think that's just total respect. They aren't doing that to everybody. You know what I'm saying?"
Young scored the final 13 points of the game for Atlanta, and he drilled a 30-foot three-point shot with just over two seconds remaining to put the Hawks in front. He finished the game with 38 points and 13 assists as he kept Atlanta alive in the series.
The Hawks and Celtics will play Game 6 on Thursday night, and Young can expect a warmer welcome in front of the home fans at State Farm Arena.
