Trae Young Bio
Rayford Trae Young, known widely as “Ice Trae,” is an American professional basketball player for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Born in Lubbock, Texas, and raised in Pampa, Texas, Young rose to national prominence during a single historic season with the Oklahoma Sooners in 2017–18. Selected fifth overall by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2018 NBA draft and traded that same night to Atlanta, he has become a four-time NBA All-Star and the central figure in the Hawks’ rise back to Eastern Conference contention.
Early Life and Background
Rayford Trae Young was born on September 19, 1998, in Lubbock, Texas. He is the son of Rayford Young, who played basketball at Texas Tech and continued his career professionally in Europe, and Candice Young. Because his father played overseas, Young was raised by his mother and paternal grandparents in Pampa, Texas. He has a younger brother and two younger sisters, and a family connection to the game continues through an uncle who played college basketball in the NAIA.
Young attended Norman North High School in Norman, Oklahoma, where his scoring ability quickly became evident. As a sophomore he averaged 25 points, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds per game, earning Oklahoma Sophomore of the Year honors after leading Norman North to the 2015 area championship. His production grew sharply during his junior year, when he posted averages of 34.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.6 assists, and again as a senior, when he averaged 42.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.1 assists while shooting 48.9 percent from the field.
Path to Basketball
Rated as one of the top point guard prospects in the 2017 recruiting class by Scout.com, Rivals.com, and ESPN, Young was the University of Oklahoma’s first five-star recruit since Tiny Gallon in 2010. He committed to the Oklahoma Sooners on February 16, 2017, choosing the program over several other major suitors. His high school resume and recruiting pedigree positioned him as a likely one-and-done lottery pick heading into his freshman season.
Trae Young Career
Early Career (2017–18 NCAA Season)
Young opened his college career on November 12, 2017, with 15 points, 10 assists, and 6 rebounds in a win over Omaha, and within weeks he was drawing national comparisons to Stephen Curry. On December 19, 2017, he tied the NCAA Division I single-game assists record with 22 while scoring 26 points in a win over Northwestern State. He finished the regular season leading the country in assists, points, points per game, assists per game, and assist percentage, and became the only player in NCAA history to lead the nation in both points and assists in a single season.
His freshman accolades included the Wayman Tisdale Award as national Freshman of the Year, Big 12 Freshman of the Year, All-Big 12 First Team honors, and consensus All-American First Team recognition. After Oklahoma’s loss in the 2018 NCAA tournament, Young declared for the 2018 NBA draft, where the Dallas Mavericks selected him fifth overall before trading him, along with a future first-round pick, to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for the rights to Luka Dončić.
Atlanta Hawks Breakthrough (2018–2021)
Young signed with the Hawks on July 1, 2018, and quickly established himself as the offensive engine of the franchise. In his rookie season he posted multiple 35-plus point performances and was unanimously named to the 2019 NBA All-Rookie First Team alongside Dončić. His second season included a 50-point performance against the Miami Heat on February 20, 2020, and his first NBA All-Star selection as a backcourt starter.
The 2020–21 campaign marked Young’s arrival as a postseason star. In his playoff debut on May 23, 2021, he recorded 32 points, 7 rebounds, and 10 assists and hit a game-winning floater with 0.9 seconds left to beat the New York Knicks. Atlanta upset the Philadelphia 76ers in the Conference Semifinals and pushed the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals, with Young dropping a playoff career-high 48 points in Game 1 of that series.
Atlanta Hawks Era (2021–Present)
On August 3, 2021, Young agreed to a five-year max extension with the Hawks worth $172 million guaranteed and potentially up to $207 million. During the 2021–22 season he posted a career-high 56 points against the Portland Trail Blazers on January 3, 2022, and joined Tiny Archibald as the only players in NBA history to lead the league in both total points and total assists in a single season. He earned his second All-Star nod and a spot on the All-NBA Third Team.
The 2022–23 season saw the Hawks acquire Dejounte Murray to bolster their defense, and Young responded with scoring outbursts that included a 44-point game against the Houston Rockets and a buzzer-beating game-winner against the Brooklyn Nets. He returned to the All-Star Game as an injury replacement in February 2024, then opened the 2024–25 season with back-to-back 30-point, 10-assist games and a career-high 22 assists against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Young finished the season leading the NBA in assists per game at a career-high 11.6 and set a franchise record with 880 total assists.
Driving Style and Strengths
Although defensively he has been criticized at times, Young has built his reputation on deep shooting range, elite court vision, and late-game shotmaking. His pick-and-roll mastery and willingness to launch from well beyond the arc have drawn comparisons to Stephen Curry, and he has repeatedly delivered game-winning floaters and three-pointers in high-leverage moments.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Young’s signature moments are the 22-assist NCAA record-tying performance against Northwestern State, the 50-point game against the Miami Heat in 2020, the game-winning floater in his 2021 playoff debut, and the half-court buzzer-beater against the Utah Jazz on January 7, 2025. He has represented the Hawks in four All-Star Games in 2020, 2022, 2024, and 2025.
Trae Young Career Wins
Trae Young has built a résumé highlighted more by individual brilliance and All-Star recognition than by championship hardware. Across his college and NBA career, his most celebrated victories include leading Oklahoma to the 2018 NCAA tournament, his 2021 playoff run to the Eastern Conference Finals, and clutch regular-season wins over the Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers, and Boston Celtics.
Atlanta Hawks Highlights
Young has led Atlanta to three playoff appearances, including the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals and postseason berths in 2022 and 2023. He set a franchise record with 880 assists in 2024–25 and surpassed Mookie Blaylock for the most three-pointers in Hawks history on February 15, 2024. He is a four-time All-Star, an All-NBA Third Team selection in 2022, and the 2024–25 NBA assists leader.
Other Wins & Performances
Beyond his NBA accomplishments, Young won the 2015 area championship and a regional title at Norman North High School, the 2018 Wayman Tisdale Award, and Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors during his lone college season. In November 2023, the city of Pampa named a street “Trae Young Drive” outside the Young Family Athletic Center.
Trae Young Family
Family Background and Basketball Lineage
Basketball runs deep in the Young family. His father, Rayford Young, played at Texas Tech before pursuing a professional career in Europe, and his uncle played college basketball in the NAIA. His mother, Candice Young, and his paternal grandparents helped raise him in Pampa, Texas, while his father competed overseas.
Personal Life
Young married his longtime partner, Shelby Miller, in July 2023, and the couple has two children, a son born in June 2022 and a second child born in November 2023. A practicing Christian, Young serves as an Honorary Board Member at The Children’s Center Rehabilitation Hospital in Oklahoma City. On March 31, 2025, he was named assistant general manager for the University of Oklahoma basketball program.
2025 Season Performance
Trae Young’s 2024–25 season represented the statistical peak of his NBA career. He led the league in assists per game for the first time, finishing with a career-high 11.6 assists per contest, and set an Atlanta Hawks franchise record with 880 total assists. He opened the year with back-to-back 30-point, 10-assist games, posted his first career 30-point, 20-assist, five-three-pointer performance against the Los Angeles Lakers on December 6, 2024, and capped the season with a half-court buzzer-beater against the Utah Jazz on January 7, 2025.
Beyond his counting stats, Young’s playmaking lifted the Hawks into the postseason picture and earned him a fourth All-Star selection in 2025. His 2025 postseason run continued his reputation for dramatic playoff performances and reinforced his standing as the offensive centerpiece of the franchise.
Looking ahead, Young remains under contract with the Hawks through the 2025–26 season and is positioned as the team’s primary creator and face of the franchise. With continued growth in efficiency and defensive effort, the 2025–26 campaign is expected to be central to Young’s pursuit of deeper playoff success and possible All-NBA recognition.