15 July 2023 , 21:07
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Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young has said he is not thinking about comparisons between himself and Luka Doncic.
Young was drafted by the Hawks in the 2018 NBA Draft with the No. 5 overall pick. Doncic was picked by the Dallas Mavericks with the No. 3 overall selection in the same draft class. Young and Doncic have gone on to become the star of their respective franchises, but are yet to win a title.
After being drafted in the same year, and being selected close together, fans and various media outlets have often compared both Young and Doncic. However, it seems that Young isn’t thinking about his numbers in comparison to the Mavs guard.
Young was appearing alongside Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green on his podcast. The Hawks guard says that he has nothing but respect for Doncic, and is not concerned about the comparisons between them.
“I don’t even stress over it no more,” Young said on The Draymond Green Show. “Like, I just … I know the real ones get it. I feel like for me, once I win a championship it’ll even open up more eyes to what I’ve really done. Especially to some of my peers that I’m compared with.
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“To be honest with you, I have no hate towards nobody, especially Luka. We talk all the time. We got a lot of love for each other, a lot of respect for each other. There’s different agendas and the way people look at certain people is different. To be honest, I don’t get caught up into it.
“I feel like eventually people are going to understand what it is and realize that it’s not that far off. We kind of do the same things.
Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic will be competing for Slovenia at the FIBA Basketball World Cup this off-season (Tim Heitman/Getty Images)“We’re different in size but I mean, he can play. Like I can play, you know what I’m saying? We can both hoop, so at the same time that’s just what it is.”
Both Young and Doncic will be looking to make an impact for their respective franchises when the new NBA season begins in October. Before then, though, Doncic will be representing Slovenia as he competes in the FIBA Basketball World Cup this August.
The tournament takes place from August 25 to September 10, and will be hosted in the Philippines, Indonesia and Japan. NBA training camps begin a few weeks later, before the NBA season starts in mid-October.