Tuesday’s NBA Play-In Tournament game between the Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic did not end well for former Norman North (Oklahoma) high school basketball star Trae Young. Young was ejected in the fourth quarter of the contest, which his team lost, 120-95.
Referee James Williams, speaking after the contest, ejected Williams for “making a mockery of the game,” according to a report in the Associated Press.
As the game moved just under the 5 minute mark of the fourth quarter, Young was whistled for two consecutive technical fouls – the first for firing the basketball at Williams’ chest, after a call, instead of politely handing it over, and the second for intercepting the carom and then refusing to give the ball to Williams.
According to a pool reporter Wiliams said, “Trae Young received his first unsportmanlike technical foul for throwing the ball at a game official. He received his second unsportsmanlike technical foul for kicking the ball away and making a mockery of the game.”
Young is a four time NBA All-Star and has been in the league since be selected in the first round (5th overall) of the 2018 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks. His rights were subsequently acquired by the Hawks and he has played his entire career in Atlanta.
At Norman North he was a superstar from day one. He was named Oklahoma Sophomore of the Year as he averaged 25 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds in 2015, helping Norman North win an area championship. As a junior he increased his scoring to more than 34 points per game, while averaging 4.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists on a squad which went 28-4 and reached the Oklahoma Class 6A state championship game.
Young had yet another level he would reach, as a senior, scoring 42.6 points per game, grabbing 5.8 rebounds per contest and averaging 4.1 assists. He converted 48.9% of his field goal attempts and was named a McDonald’s All-American.
He played just one season of college basketball and won the Wayman Tisdale Award as National Freshman of the Year at the University of Oklahoma. That season he led the nation in assists (271), points (848) and scoring average (27.4), among several other categories. His freshman point total broke the Big 12 record previously held by Kevin Durant and Michael Beasley.
His other college honors included Big 12 Freshman of the Year, All-Big 12 First Team and consensus All-American First Team.
