As the New York Knicks' search for a successor to the recently dismissed Tom Thibodeau, they aren't afraid of dreaming big — or rejection. Five teams have already declined the Eastern Conference runner-ups' request to interview their respective head coaches, with a familiar foe being the latest one: the Atlanta Hawks.
Atlanta didn't just turn away the Knicks' inquiry to speak with their head coach, Quin Snyder. They reportedly shut it down hard. ESPN's Shams Charania said New York was "firmly denied," which got a laugh out of Hawks franchise point guard Trae Young, who couldn't help himself.
Hell nahh🤣
— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) June 12, 2025
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Trae Young laughs at Knicks for failed attempt to poach Hawks HC Quin Snyder
"Hell nahh," Young replied to Charania's post on X (formerly known as Twitter), followed by the rolling on the floor laughing emoji. His rivalry with New York since eliminating them from the 2021 NBA playoffs is well-chronicled, so he took the opportunity to twist the knife. This isn't the first time we've seen him poke the bear (Knicks) since Atlanta was bounced from the Play-In ... for a second straight season.
Young loves playing the villain role, especially when it comes to the Knicks and their fans. He unprovokedly said the Oklahoma City Thunder have a louder crowd during their Game 7 second-round win over the Denver Nuggets. And of course, who can forget his infamous dice roll on New York's center-court logo after the Hawks knocked them out of the NBA Cup?
Not only does Young accept the responsibility of being New York's archenemy, but he embraces it. The 2024-25 assist champion loves being a thorn in this team's side and saw a chance to maintain his reputation in response to the Snyder news. Frankly, he's not the only one getting a kick out of the Knicks' unconventional approach to replacing Thibodeau.
Trae Young isn't in a position to chirp the Knicks
Nonetheless, even though Young has Snyder and the Knicks don't, he shouldn't be one to talk. After all, New York has had the upper hand and trended up since getting sent packing by Atlanta in 2021. The same cannot be said for the Hawks, who have regressed.
Four years have passed since Young's Hawks bested the Knicks in five games in the first round of the postseason. New York holds a 10-6 edge in their 16 meetings thereafter. Atlanta hasn't returned to the conference semifinals; they've struggled to get back to the playoffs at all, let alone stay above .500.
Meanwhile, the Knicks have won a playoff series in each of the past three campaigns, including their first ECF appearance since 2000 this year. They also defended Young better than most opponents this season; only four squads held him to a lower field goal percentage than New York (35.8), and they did so across five games. Others had two (or even one) cracks at him.