Trae Younger smiled proudly and clapped along with his Atlanta Hawks teammates and different attendees when he noticed the road signal for the primary time that learn “Trae Younger Drive” in his hometown of Norman, Oklahoma.
The Hawks guard’s hometown devoted a road in his honor Sunday afternoon in recognition of his contributions to the town. Trae Younger Drive is in entrance of the brand new Younger Household Athletic Heart, a multisport and swimming advanced slated to open in January 2024. Younger’s mother and father and siblings, Hawks teammates, former Hawks star Dominique Wilkins and Norman mayor Larry Heikkila have been in attendance.
“It is nonetheless only a whirlwind,” Younger, 25, instructed Andscape in a telephone interview Sunday after the occasion. “As athletes and professionals, all of us dream of being within the NBA or dreaming of hitting massive pictures and large moments or no matter. You do not essentially dream about having your personal road named after you. So having that’s surreal and I do not know if it is actually hit me but. I feel it’ll as soon as I see folks actually driving on it and me having to kind in [and] drive on my Apple map search to get it; that is after I suppose it could hit me.”
Introducing Trae Younger Drive 🧊
The Metropolis of Norman, Oklahoma honored Trae by dedicating a road to him in his hometown ❤️🙌 pic.twitter.com/ULhGJjPy2Y
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 5, 2023
One thing cool occurred right this moment..🙏🏽❄️#TraeYoungDr pic.twitter.com/n5nbfGfhqh
— Trae Younger (@TheTraeYoung) November 5, 2023
Younger was born in Lubbock, Texas, the place his father was a basketball star at Texas Tech, however the two-time NBA All-Star grew up in Norman. The previous Norman North Excessive College star was ranked because the nation’s twenty third greatest prospect within the 2017 ESPN 100 after averaging 42.6 factors per sport as a senior.
When he dedicated to the Oklahoma Sooners in 2017, the famend sharpshooter added to his Norman legacy by signing the place he was “most snug.” Younger averaged a nation’s greatest 27.4 factors per sport and eight.7 assists with the Sooners earlier than being drafted fifth total by the Hawks in 2018.
“Norman meant every part to me,” Younger mentioned. “I let all people know I used to be born in Texas however raised in Oklahoma. I undoubtedly put the Oklahoma flag on my again as a result of I do know I actually grew up right here. I went to elementary college right here, center college right here, highschool after which school. So, it actually raised me to be who I’m right this moment.
“And I do not thoughts letting folks know I am from a small metropolis and a spot that not lots of people actually make it to be professionals in something. So, I undoubtedly attempt to signify it each day.”
Younger and his sisters, Caitlyn and Camryn, grew up enjoying sports activities on the YMCAs in Norman. He plans to supply native youth a sports activities facility on a grander stage with the brand new Younger Household Athletic Heart that he has invested $4 million into by The Trae Younger Household Basis.
YFAC has eight basketball/volleyball courts and an Olympic-sized swimming pool in a 122,000 sq. foot facility in North Norman. Younger hopes the power may even be a scorching mattress for native highschool, AAU and nationwide youth basketball and volleyball tournaments and swimming meets. Attendees to such occasions would additionally convey cash to the Norman economic system.
“We’ve got the [YFAC] that we constructed, and my road leads proper onto it. So, we can have a number of the greatest tournaments, a number of the greatest highschool video games,” Younger mentioned. “I am attempting to have them delivered to Oklahoma and you are going to have to show onto Trae Younger Drive if you are going to need to go to the gymnasium. So, it’s a fairly cool factor.”
Younger was pleasantly stunned about his Hawks teammates attending the ceremony on a day without work. The Hawks defeated the host New Orleans Pelicans 123-105 on Saturday after which flew to Oklahoma Metropolis afterward. Younger’s teammates additionally took half in a tour of the YFAC.
“All my teammates got here out,” Younger mentioned. “I did not even inform any of them about me having my very own road named after me or I used to be going to be celebrating it after I received right here. However I feel a few them received phrase. After which all of them instructed me that they was coming. So, to see all of them present up, it was actually cool as a result of I do know they’re all busy.”
The Hawks (4-2) make their lone regular-season go to to play the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder (3-3) on Monday evening. Younger added that it at all times means rather a lot to play again dwelling in OKC, which is about 20 miles from Norman. Younger has averaged 25.1 factors, 9.7 assists and 4.0 rebounds in 9 profession video games (5-4) in opposition to the Thunder, in keeping with Statmuse, together with 41 factors March 30, 2022, in Oklahoma Metropolis.
“The sport in Oklahoma Metropolis is at all times particular,” Younger mentioned. “It isn’t too usually you might be on the highway and also you get cheers when your identify is known as out within the beginning 5. It is at all times a cool feeling coming again right here. I see plenty of acquainted faces within the crowd after I go to the sport, so it is at all times enjoyable.”
