CHICAGO — Hawks guard Trae Young will debut a new pair of kicks when the team faces the Bulls on Friday for an NBA Cup matchup at the United Center. On Friday, Jordan Brand announced that Young signed a multi-year deal with the sneaker brand.
Young will wear the Air Jordan 39 on Friday night after he explored sneaker free agency following the ending of his partnership with Adidas this summer.
“I mean, it’s obviously a great brand to be a part of. I mean, a great partnership,” Young said following the Hawks shootaround Friday. “Obviously, I was a free agent this summer, and so I was able to kind of test some options and look at certain things and look at different brands. But ultimately, this was a brand I wanted to be with. And, I grew up in, playing in Jordans and playing in the (Nike Elite Youth Basketball League). So I’ve worn Nike before, and had a lot of Jordans growing up. So, it’s really a full circle moment for me.”
As the Hawks guard tested out different options, finding the right fit.
“We’ve already talked with the brand about the shoes and making it comfortable for me to play in, and what I like,” Young said. “And obviously, the latest shoe, the 39s I’ve been playing in, are very comfortable. So we got some stuff coming out soon, and we’ve already been talking. It’s really cool to be a part of this brand already. I mean, that’s all part of every brand you go to. You got to make sure your feet are taken care of, you wearing the right stuff and stuff that feels comfortable to you. And that’s, I mean, I’m doing that.”
Young has dealt with an Achilles injury early in the season that forced him to miss the Hawks’ first NBA Cup game against the Celtics earlier this month. He told reporters after the game that he had been playing through it all season and that it flared up before the game against the Celtics.
“It’s been a lingering thing to start the season,” Young said Nov. 15 after the Hawks’ win over the Wizards. “So, it just started feeling a little more uncomfortable before the last game. Sometimes you got to stop me from myself sometimes. And so I got some advice that I should sit. And that’s why guys were with us, and we went up (to Boston) and won. The team played great. And yeah, it was just more of a precaution thing, and it’s something I’m going to have to play through. But tonight it wasn’t nothing too crazy.”
Young has continued to receive treatment, and he said that the injury has slowly improved.
“Yeah, I work on it every day,” Young said Friday morning. “It’s getting better, to be honest with you. It’s slowly, slowly (getting) better, and hopefully I don’t feel it here soon. But yeah, I’m getting treatment every day.”
The Hawks will attempt to move to 3-0 in NBA Cup Group Play at 8 p.m. Friday at the Bulls.
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