Trae Young found another way to troll New York Knicks fans during Fanatics Fest on Saturday (July 18).
Making his entrance WWE-style at the event in New York, the Washington Wizards guard attempted to rip a Jalen Brunson jersey in front of the crowd. The moment didn't go exactly as planned, however, as Young struggled to tear the jersey before eventually discarding it. Hey, great advertisement for the durability of the jersey at least!
The stunt is part of Young's long-running rivalry with the Knicks that dates back to the 2021 NBA Playoffs.
That postseason, Young embraced the role of villain while leading the Atlanta Hawks past New York in the opening round before guiding the franchise to the Eastern Conference Finals. After eliminating the Knicks in Game 5 at Madison Square Garden, Young famously bowed to the home crowd, cementing his status as one of the franchise's biggest antagonists.
Young has continued to needle Knicks fans in the years since. Ahead of Fanatics Fest, he revisited the rivalry by posting a video to his Instagram Story that referenced the 2021 playoff series.
He also reignited tensions during the 2024 NBA Cup, mimicking the rolling of dice on the Knicks' center-court logo after Atlanta knocked New York out of the quarterfinals.
Now with the Wizards after being traded from Atlanta in January, Young is hoping for a healthier campaign after injuries limited him to just 15 games last season, including five appearances with Washington before a quad injury ended his year.
The four-time All-Star most recently earned All-Star honors during the 2024-25 season, averaging 24.2 points while leading the NBA with 11.6 assists per game.
Washington is looking to accelerate its rebuilding process after adding Young and Anthony Davis to a promising young core that includes A.J. Dybantsa, Kyshawn George and Alex Sarr.
The Wizards, however, have struggled against the defending NBA champion Knicks, dropping 12 consecutive meetings dating back to January 2023.
