A 22-assist night at Oklahoma was the kind of performance that travels fast. So was a freshman season of 27.4 points and 8.7 assists per game. Before Trae Young ever stepped onto an NBA floor, he had already done something no other men’s Division I player had managed in a single season: lead the nation in both scoring and assists.
From Texas roots to Oklahoma stardom
Rayford Trae Young was born on September 19, 1998, in Lubbock, Texas, and grew up around the game. His father, Rayford Young, starred at Texas Tech before playing professionally overseas, so basketball was part of daily life early. Trae spent much of his childhood in Pampa, Texas, with his mother and grandparents, then later moved to Norman, Oklahoma, where his career began to accelerate.
At Norman North High School, he developed into one of the country’s most closely watched guards. The appeal was easy to see: deep shooting range, a tight handle, and the kind of passing vision that made full possessions tilt in his team’s favor. He was named a McDonald’s All-American in 2017 and became Oklahoma’s first five-star recruit since Tiny Gallon.
By then, Young was already more than a local prospect. He was a national name.
One college season, one historic stat line
His time with the Oklahoma Sooners lasted only one season, but it was enough to make him one of the biggest stories in college basketball.
In 2017-18, Young averaged 27.4 points and 8.7 assists per game. Those numbers were not just eye-catching; they were historic. He became the only player in men’s Division I history to finish a season leading the country in both categories. He also became the first player from a major conference to record 800 points and 250 assists in a season.
There were headline games along the way. He tied the Division I single-game record with 22 assists and reached 500 career points in only 17 games, the fastest mark in Oklahoma history at the time.
The honors followed. Young was a consensus first-team All-American, won the Wayman Tisdale Award as the nation’s top freshman, and was named Big 12 Freshman of the Year. By the end of that season, he had gone from elite recruit to one-and-done certainty.
Draft night and the trade that followed him
The 2018 NBA Draft gave Young a new stage and, immediately, extra scrutiny.
He was selected with the No. 5 overall pick by the Dallas Mavericks, but that was only the first part of the story. On draft night, Dallas agreed to trade him to the Atlanta Hawks for Luka Dončić, with a future first-round pick also included in the deal. Because of the players involved, the trade became one of the defining talking points of that draft class and stayed attached to Young’s early NBA years.
That context mattered. He was not entering the league quietly. Every strong game, every rough stretch, every playoff run was going to be measured against that deal.
Atlanta Hawks: points, assists and a fast rise
Young joined the Hawks in 2018 and quickly became the engine of their offense. His rookie season ended with a place on the NBA All-Rookie First Team, a sign that his scoring and playmaking had translated faster than some expected.
From there, his numbers climbed into star territory.
In his second season, 2019-20, he averaged 29.6 points and 9.3 assists per game, becoming one of the few players in league history to hit those thresholds in the same year. The style was familiar to anyone who had watched him at Oklahoma: long-range pull-ups, probing drives, floaters in traffic, and passes that arrived a beat before defenders could react.
All-Star selections followed in 2020, 2022, 2024, and 2025. In 2021-22, he earned All-NBA Third Team honors after averaging 28.4 points and 9.7 assists while leading the league in total points and total assists. That season captured the full shape of his game. He was not just a scorer who could pass, or a passer who could score. He was both at once, and defenses had to account for both on every trip.
The defining team moment of his Atlanta run came in the 2021 playoffs. With Young running the offense, the Hawks reached the Eastern Conference Finals. Along the way, he delivered several of the performances that hardened his reputation as a fearless late-game shot maker. The confidence had always been part of the package. In that postseason, it was impossible to miss.
He remained one of the league’s busiest creators in the seasons that followed. In 2024-25, he led the NBA in assists per game, another reminder that even with his shooting range and scoring totals, playmaking remained central to everything he did. He was also named to the NBA Cup All-Tournament Team in 2024.
A point guard with unusual gravity
At 6-foot-1, Young does not overwhelm opponents physically. He changes games with pressure.
His shooting range forces defenders to pick him up well beyond the three-point line, which stretches the floor before a play has fully developed. Once that happens, he can attack the gap, stop for a floater, draw help and find a roller, or skip the ball to the weak side. Few guards are as comfortable toggling between scorer and organizer from possession to possession.
That blend has defined him since college. The Oklahoma season announced it. The Atlanta years confirmed it against NBA defenses.
There have also been familiar critiques: efficiency swings, defensive limitations, and the burden that comes with having the ball so often. But even those discussions underline the same fact. Young has long been asked to carry a huge share of the offense, and his teams have built around that reality.
USA Basketball before the NBA spotlight
Before the draft and before the All-Star appearances, Young spent time with USA Basketball. He played for the United States at the 2016 FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship and won a gold medal.
It fits neatly into the timeline of his rise. Even before his Oklahoma breakout, he was already being identified as one of the country’s top young guards.
Off the court: family, fatherhood and “Ice Trae”
Away from basketball, family has always been a visible part of Young’s story. He is the son of Rayford and Candice Young and has one brother, Timothy, and two sisters, Caitlyn and Camryn. His father’s background in the sport gave him an early model, but Young’s public image has also grown around his own life as an adult.
He and his wife, Shelby Miller Young, have children together. Because private family details can change and are not always fully shared publicly, it is best to leave the count there unless confirmed by Young or his representatives in a current public source.
His nickname, “Ice Trae,” became part of his brand as his late-game confidence drew attention. The phrase is widely associated with him, and rapper Quavo helped popularize it publicly.
One of the more memorable off-court-adjacent moments of his career came on January 26, 2020, when he wore No. 8 for the opening possession in tribute to Kobe Bryant after Bryant’s death. It was brief, understated, and widely noticed.
As for financial estimates, celebrity net worth figures vary widely by outlet and are often unverified. Unless Young has disclosed such information himself, those numbers are better treated as estimates rather than fact.
The shape of Trae Young’s career
Young’s basketball story has moved quickly, but the through line has stayed the same. In high school, he looked like a gifted shot creator. At Oklahoma, he became a national phenomenon. In Atlanta, he turned into one of the NBA’s most productive offensive guards and the centerpiece of a conference finals team.
The numbers explain part of it. The style explains the rest. Few players bend a defense from so far out and then punish it with either a pass or a pull-up in the same way.
FAQ
What college did Trae Young attend?
He played one season at the University of Oklahoma.
When was Trae Young drafted?
He was drafted in 2018 with the No. 5 overall pick.
Which team drafted Trae Young?
The Dallas Mavericks drafted him, then traded his rights to the Atlanta Hawks on draft night.
What is Trae Young’s nickname?
He is widely known as “Ice Trae.”
Did Trae Young lead the NCAA in scoring and assists?
Yes. In 2017-18, he led men’s Division I in both categories.
What position does Trae Young play?
He plays point guard.
