Russell Westbrook‘s reputation as a player has taken a massive hit over the past three years. However, nobody can deny that during his time with the Thunder, the guard was among the most electrifying players in the NBA. Trae Young was fortunate, or perhaps unfortunate, enough to face Westbrook while he was still plying his trade in Oklahoma City and has fond memories of that experience.
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During an appearance on VicBlends’ DeepCut show, the Hawks guard, who grew up in Oklahoma and supported the Thunder after they moved to the state in 2008, revealed he was excited to take on superstar during his rookie season. He was looking forward to facing Westbrook, who had played a critical role in his development as a player. Young said,
“It was coming home and playing in the Thunder arena after going there, having season tickets for 10+ years since the Thunder were there… I’m looking across the other hand and it’s Russ, that’s my guy. He gave me some tips, his brother Raynard was like a big bro to me, when I was in high school and in college, make sure I was straight.”
The guard added that the game against Westbrook and the Thunder during his rookie season was his ‘Welcome to the NBA’ moment. Before Young savored the former MVP’s incredible run in Oklahoma, another legendary guard inspired him to play basketball.
Trae Young looked up to Chris Paul as a kid
In 2005, Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc in New Orleans, forcing the Hornets to temporarily relocate to Oklahoma. The state did not have an NBA franchise back then, so they embraced the Hornets as their team.
For two years, fans in Oklahoma, including Young, rooted for the team, especially Chris Paul, who quickly established himself as the face of the franchise. Watching the guard in action prompted the Hawks star to pursue basketball as a career. During the interview with VicBlends, he recalled,
“I was able to watch [Chris Paul] and go to a lot of games, I mean that was a big deal for Oklahoma so that was really the first time, I was able to definitively have the awe of that, that was kind of close to me… I think that is big for any young kid as athlete just to have somebody that’s close to you.”
Young’s playstyle has shades of both Paul and Westbrook. The diminutive guard can facilitate as well as the Spurs star, and take over games like the Nuggets veteran did back in the day. Learning who Young grew up watching and idolizing explains why he operates the way he does on the basketball court.
