Hawks guard Trae Young named to fourth NBA All-Star game

Young looks forward to going to San Francisco to represent the Hawks, but he’s saving the reflection on his achievements for later in life.

“It’s cool,” Young told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I think I’ll be able to relax and really think about it later on in my career when I’m done, and I kind of wanna keep that edge on the competitiveness that I have to get it each and every year. It only raises our team and makes our team better when you’re playing at that level. So I’m always going to have that drive, and I’ll probably sit back and enjoy it and think about it a little bit more when I’m done playing.”

NBA coaches determined the All-Star reserves, while fans, players and media members decided the starters. Young finished fourth in the final vote tally for starters.

This is the second consecutive year that Young has received an All-Star bid via an injury replacement, after he replaced Julius Randle last season. But he has a fresh perspective on reaching this year’s All-Star game.

“When you realize that the voting situation and all that is already rigged in the first place, and that’s for me, that’s what it is,” Young said. “I mean, if it was just about me and things like that, like I wouldn’t, I probably wouldn’t have accepted it, but I understand, like, who I’m representing and it’s not just me. It’s about the city, it’s about my teammates that helped me get to this position, my coaches that have given us great advice and leadership all year that helped me get to this position.

“It’s not just about me. So, that’s really the reason why I accepted it, but I understand like, the system isn’t the same like we’re used to, and so that’s why I was never really mad or anything like I would when I was younger.”

Young and his teammates were in their morning film session ahead of Monday’s game against the Magic when the announcement went public. The Hawks didn’t make a big spectacle about the news at their morning shootaround, and that’s the way Young likes it.

“I think people around me understand how I feel about All-Star, and I’m really more focused on the team,” Young said. “So, Coach (Quin Snyder) knows me. I don’t want no big announcement or nothing like that.

“It’s my fourth time, and it really should be six, to be honest with you. So, for me, I just focus on my team and winning and they don’t necessarily make it a big announcement or like that, and I don’t really want them to. But everybody’s been really coming up and congratulating me after, so that’s cool.”

Now, Young will join teammate Zaccharie Risacher in the All-Star game. The game is set for Sunday at Chase Center in San Francisco with a new four-team, three-game mini-tournament that will air at 8 p.m. ET on TNT.

WEDNESDAY’S GAME

Hawks at Knicks, 7:30 p.m., FDSNSE, 92.9 FM