Every young hooper’s dream starts with picking up a basketball and going to the park to get some shots up.
Recently, Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young started a partnership with Wilson Sporting Goods through a campaign called “Bonded by Ball.”
A common sports phrase goes along the lines of “it’s more than just a game.” The “Bonded by Ball” partnership tries to emulate just that by telling stories about the Atlanta basketball community.
Heading into his fourth season with the Hawks, Trae explained that being in Atlanta has taught him so much about family and culture.
“People are really trying to pull for each other out here and you can really feel it,” he said.
The city of Atlanta has fully embraced Trae. With his popularity on the rise, it’s easy to see the influence the city already has on the 23-year old Oklahoma native. When one is surrounded with people who have generational roots in a city, it becomes a part of their identity. Similarly, as one is bound by their experiences growing up in Atlanta, the memories of playing with a Wilson basketball are bound through the playground.
“Basketball is a big family, it’s a big stage. Everyone has their own spot in their own lane,” Trae said. “I think that’s one thing an NBA player can relate to somebody just at a regular park – is that we just love the game and we both have a passion for it.”
Basketball can truly change the social culture and make an impact off the court. As people from all over the world come together in unison through their shared love for the game, the impact that basketball has is bounded through passion.
“It’s always going to be a cycle of new people and new energy but we all share a common goal with loving it,” Trae said.
As the face of the Atlanta Hawks for decades to come, this partnership helps Trae connect with the youth of the city as well as making himself feel more at home.
“My main goal off the court is to be a great role model,” he said. “Just carrying myself the right way and hopefully kids will look at me with the right attitude, with the right mindset. Hopefully I’m a good leader.”
Check out the full details of the partnership here.
