Atlanta Hawks rising star Trae Young started getting linked to the Los Angeles Lakers after he signed with Klutch Sports Group.
However, in a story with Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, the guard’s father, Rayford, shot down the notion that his son made the move in order to go to Los Angeles.
“I wish people would look at his history,” the father said. “He’s never been a follower. When he won the Nike EYBL Peach Jam, he could have went to a super team after that. He turned down going to Oak Hill Academy, which is one of the top prep schools. People told him in high school that he wouldn’t be an All-American or a top recruit if he went to a local high school in Norman, Oklahoma.
“He averaged 44 points his senior year and was an All-American. Then they told him that he wouldn’t be a first-round pick if he went to Oklahoma. [John] Calipari sat in our living room and told him, ‘If you want to be a lottery pick, you better come to Kentucky.’ He stayed with Oklahoma. He’s never been a follower. This whole thing with Klutch never had anything to do with going to play with the Lakers one day. They have a lot of people on their roster who aren’t with the Lakers.”
The younger Young was named an All-Star this season for the first time in his career.
The 21-year-old is averaging 29.6 points, 9.3 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game this season. He is easily one of the bright youngsters in the league.
Klutch Sports Group is slowly building an empire within the NBA. The agency represents superstars LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Ben Simmons and many more players.
In recent years, the prolific agency has added multiple burgeoning stars. The younger Young is a phenomenal addition for the expanding sports group.
The Lakers currently hold the best record in the Western Conference this season. On the other end, the Hawks concluded their season with a 20-47 record, which landed them with the second-worst seed in the Eastern Conference.
