Knicks, Trae Young renew rivalry in NBA Cup quarterfinals - ESPN

The old saying goes, «Time heals all wounds» — unless you're a fan of the New York Knicks and Trae Young is involved, then it just makes them fester.

Young, public enemy No. 1 for Knicks fans, returns to Madison Square Garden on Wednesday for the NBA Cup quarterfinals (7 p.m. ET on ESPN). Prior to being drafted at No. 5 in 2018, Young was optimistic about the possibility of being selected by the Knicks.

«If I'm blessed enough to be able to play in New York City, I would be honored and I would be willing to get to work and help that franchise win,» he said.

Young landed with the Atlanta Hawks after a draft day swap with the Dallas Mavericks. Wednesday is the 20th regular-season meeting between Young's Hawks and the Knicks — they have won just six of those matchups.

However, the Hawks guard has some bragging rights over the Knicks after helping eliminate them in the first round of the 2021 Eastern Conference playoffs. He averaged 29.2 points and 9.8 assists as Atlanta bounced New York in five games.

That series sparked a feud between Young and New York, leading to spontaneous «F--- Trae Young» chants from Knicks fans, even when the Knicks aren't playing the Hawks. Knicks fans memorably chanted the phrase following a win against the Boston Celtics in the 2021-22 season opener. But that's only the tip of the bad-blood iceberg.

Here's a look at key moments between Young and the Knicks.

In his first postseason appearance in 2021, Young showed out early, dropping 32 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds in Game 1. He hit a runner with 0.9 remaining to lead Atlanta to the victory and told the crowd to «be quiet» — all while being the recipient of the «F--- Trae Young» chants.

«As I hit the floater, it just felt like everybody