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Sporting News
It’s been 24 years, eight months, 23 hours, and 32 seconds since the last time a superstar in an Atlanta Hawks uniform has graced the court of Philips-er-State Farm Arena. That’s also 296 months or 9008.9 days or 778,374,032 seconds in case you were wondering. You probably weren’t though because no one ever wonders anything about the Hawks...unless it’s the question of when they’ll ever be relevant again. Well, all of our prayers to the basketball gods have finally been answered because on Wednesday, October 25, 2018 at approximately 7:00 pm the streak finally ends! The biggest name to touchdown in Atlanta since Julio Jones (haha burn!) finally suits up for the home team in a nationally televised game. Now, I’m not here to tell school tales, but if you haven’t bought into the Trae Young hype yet, now is probably the time to cash in.
Technically, the era of Ice Trae has already begun. It was becoming increasingly obvious that we were seeing the beginnings of something special by halftime of the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday. At that current point in the game, Young possessed 19 and about five heat checks from Sandy Springs, GA. He ended the game with a casual 35 points and 11 assists in 37 minutes in what was only his third professional game ever. Quick, let’s count the number of Hawks players to ever drop 35 points in their first three games.
One. There’s only been one. His name is Trae Young. Okay sure, that’s an odd coincidence, so let’s just count the number of rookies in general to ever drop 35 points in their first three games. One. There has still only been one. His name is Trae Young. So, by the official rules of math, Trae is both the best rookie ever AND the best Hawks player ever. No, I don’t make the rules. I just report them (and slightly make them up along the way).
Atlanta has appropriately chosen to name its arena after its sponsor, State Farm, which may or may not have something to do with all of the water damage that is sure to come as the city ushers in “The Ice Age.” Magic City should be swiftly alerted that there is a new baller in town making it rain on Monday nights. The old So So Def billboard finally has a new face to grace it. Hawks fans can finally sleep peacefully at night knowing they no longer have to be tortured by the recurring nightmare that was Joe "the easiest $120 million ever" Johnson or Josh Smith or whatever that Dwight Howard experiment was supposed to be. {Basket}ball is finally life again in Atlanta and maybe the days of the Human Highlight Factory can be lived vicariously through State Farm Arena.
The only question to pose now is: what legendary thing will Trae do next for Wednesday’s game against (his former team?) the Dallas Mavericks? My best guess is that he will surprise release his debut mixtape “From the Oak to the A” and drop 37 points thus simultaneously burning Dallas on both the music and sports scenes. After his game against the Cavs, Young received his first ice bath and now it’s his turn to give his new city one almost every night. After tip-off on Wednesday, the Ice Age will officially begin in Atlanta and its new savior, Ice Trae Young, will finally be the hero they have longed for so long. I hope you’re as ready for it as I am.