Kendrick Perkins is tired of the disrespect Trae Young is receiving: "He made the Hawks relevant"

Kendrick Perkins is tired of the disrespect Trae Young is receiving: “He made the Hawks relevant” originally appeared on Basketball Network.

When people discuss today’s best point guards, the players that immediately come to mind are Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Steph Curry, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. However, one name that often gets left out of the conversation is Atlanta Hawks playmaker Trae Young.

A four-time All-Star who led the league in assists last season, averaging 11.6 on top of 24.2 points per game, Trae is undoubtedly one of the league’s most lethal combo guards. Quick and deceptive at the same time, he often gives defenders nightmares with his ability to make the long ball and drive into the teeth of the defense, where he can either finish strong or pull defenders in and find an open teammate.

All these are not lost on popular media personality Kendrick Perkins, who was miffed at the shade that is often thrown Trae’s way.

Trae has made the Hawks a legit threat in the East

Picked fifth in the 2018 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks, which immediately traded him to Atlanta for Luka Doncic, Trae has put the Hawks on his shoulder and lifted them to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021, where they lost to the eventual champions, Milwaukee Bucks. Although the team has missed the playoffs in the last two seasons, it certainly hasn’t been a lack of trying from Young’s end.

“This is what I’m tired of — real talk,” Perk emphasized. “I’m tired of the Trae Young disrespect, bro. I’ve been saying it for years. Like, I’m tired of it.”

Perk did not hold back, claiming that the only reason the Hawks are relevant in the NBA is because of Trae’s play.

“First of all, he has completely made the Hawks relevant. Nobody thinks about the Hawks. When you think about the Atlanta Hawks, you think about Trae Young,” he pointed out.

“Let’s not take Trae Young’s greatness for granted,” Perk continued. “When I look at Trae Young and you look at his numbers just over the last three years — this past season, 24 and 11 assists. The year before that, 25 points, 10 assists. Then 26 points, 10 assists. Like, what else do you want out of this man? He’s doing it at the highest level.”

Hawks are ready to soar

The reported tension surrounding Trae’s dissatisfaction with the team’s failure to offer him a contract extension is a delicate issue that could backfire on the Hawks’ front office if left unaddressed. However, despite this potential setback, the Hawks remain well-positioned to establish themselves among the Eastern Conference elite.

With a roster that features defensive monster Dyson Daniels, talented forwards Jalen Johnson and Zaccharie Risacher, and dependable big men Onyeka Okongwu and Kristaps Porzingis, the Hawks have the necessary firepower to go toe-to-toe with any team in the East.

“Now he actually has the pieces around him that fit: athleticism, long athletic wings, lob-threat bigs, lob threats everywhere. So now it opens up,” Perk conveyed. “He has the pesky defenders on the wing that can defend at a high level. So now we’re about to see a different version of Trae Young.”

After carrying the ATL on his back for so long, Trae now has help by his side. Now, it’s put up or shut up time for Trae and the Hawks as they look to solidify their spot among the East’s top contenders. With it comes the opportunity for the crafty point guard to put all the negative talk about him to bed.

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 7, 2025, where it first appeared.

Kendrick Perkins is tired of the disrespect Trae Young is receiving: “He made the Hawks relevant”

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