When Atlanta Hawks superstar guard Trae Young did a mock “rolling of the dice” on the New York Knicks’ midcourt logo at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night, Knicks fans erupted into anger on social media.
Many felt that Young was disrespecting the Knicks and MSG with the gesture, which came after Atlanta defeated New York 108-100 to eliminate the Knicks from the NBA Cup.
Young finished with 22 points and 11 assists on the night, and he iced the game with a clutch shot down the stretch.
Knicks superstar Jalen Brunson was asked about Young’s gesture after the game, and Brunson’s reply was somewhat unexpected if you don’t know what kind of competitor and person Brunson is.
“We should win the game if we don’t want him to do that,” Brunson curtly replied to a question about Young’s dice roll.
Longtime analyst Mike Golic was impressed with Brunson’s answer, posting to X:
“refreshing. couldn’t agree more.”
In a professional sports sphere heavily influenced by social media and hot takes these days, Brunson’s answer was indeed a changeup. Rather than make excuses or antagonize Young, Brunson simply re-directed the question back to the basic elements of sport — winning and losing.
Brunson’s approach to the game is a huge reason why the Knicks have become contenders under his lead over the last year and a half.
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