The New York Knicks are on top of the world right now, as they are fresh off winning the 2026 NBA Finals. Whenever you reach the top of the mountain, though, you are going to have your fair share of haters, and there may not be a bigger Knicks hater out there than Washington Wizards guard Trae Young.
In past meetings with New York, Young’s repeated desire to taunt the Knicks and their fans at Madison Square Garden has made him a villain, and it’s a role he seems to enjoy. Case in point, when making an appearance at Fanatics Fest on Saturday, Young blatantly disrespected the reigning Finals MVP, Jalen Brunson, by attempting to rip one of his jerseys up.
Trae Young Reignites Beef with Knicks, Jalen Brunson
The main reason for New York’s disdain towards Young comes from its meeting with Atlanta in the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs. While the Hawks were underdogs, Young put together one of the best stretches of basketball of his career to eliminate the Knicks in five games (29.2 PPG, 9.8 APG, 2.8 RPG, 44.1 FG%).
Along the way, Young frequently did whatever he could to rile up New York and its fanbase, and to his credit, it worked. The Knicks fans haven’t forgotten about that series, though, and Young has taken whatever chance he can get to continue trolling their fans. Eventually, the team brought Brunson to town, and he has largely quieted Young in their matchups over the past few years.
The rivalry took a turn when Young was dealt to the Wizards midway through last season, as he only ended up playing 15 games on the year. He hasn’t forgotten about his beef with the Knicks and their fans, though, as he seems to be taking it with him to Washington. When making an appearance at Fanatics Fest on Saturday, Young walked out with a Knicks Brunson jersey in his hand, only to attempt to rip it up, which quickly caught the attention of New York’s fanbase.
Jalen Brunson, Knicks Will Take Note of Trae Young’s Antics
GettyJalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks
If there’s a silver lining for the Knicks, it’s that Young was unable to actually rip this Brunson jersey up, so in a way, he actually emerged as the loser from this situation. While Young attempted to backtrack on the situation, claiming he just likes to be a troll sometimes, the Knicks are the wrong team to troll, as you can bet that the team and their passionate fanbase are not going to let him off the hook for his actions.
In the moment, Brunson and the rest of his New York teammates aren’t going to let this situation get the best of them, as they are busy celebrating their championship still. And yet, when these two sides meet up for the first time in the 2026-27 campaign, you can bet that Young is going to have a target on his back, which could spell trouble for him as he attempts to settle in with his new team.
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