It took eight years for New York Knicks fans to experience playoff basketball again. And it took only a few hours for them to be reminded of how brutal the experience can be.
In front of 15,000 at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, the Atlanta Hawks Trae Young sank a cold-blooded floater with 0.9 seconds remaining to beat New York 107-105. Afterward, the 22-year-old turned to the crowd with a finger pressed to his mouth and … well … some words to say.
“It’s quiet as fu*k in here.”
– Trae Young. 💯💯
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) May 24, 2021
"Everybody's chanting F-U … It got real quiet at the end, and I wanted to hear those F-U chants again."
–Trae Young after winning Game 1 in MSG pic.twitter.com/W2zHCrWNeh
— ESPN (@espn) May 24, 2021
A handful of folks had not taken kindly to Young’s cocky reaction, but when Knicks point guard Derrick Rose was asked about it, he pretty much gave it his stamp of approval.
“That’s basketball. The league got so soft. That’s basketball. He came in, he played a great game. He’s supposed to do that. The crowd is supposed to do that. His reaction is supposed to be that way, and supposed to amp up, bring the atmosphere that environment to what it is right now.”
The former Bull and MVP went on to briefly describe far more chaotic atmospheres he has been a part of over the years, calling it all an energetic part of the game. When we consider Rose’s rather calm demeanor and lack of celebration, it’s kind of funny he is the one making this statement, but he is also absolutely correct. Young is supposed to taunt the crowd. The crowd is supposed to taunt back. It’s all part of the NBA experience. What is this … baseball? #Burn
Check out Rose’s full comments below:
Derrick Rose on Trae Young/MSG crowd in Game 1: “That’s basketball…the league got so soft, bro. That’s basketball. He come in, he played a great game & the crowd’s supposed to do that. His reaction’s supposed to be that way…that’s what I’m used to.” pic.twitter.com/pExuz8qxo2
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) May 26, 2021