The long-awaited opening of the Young Family Athletic Center is coming, and now the road to get there is paved and labeled with the name Trae Young Drive.
Something cool happened today..🙏🏽❄️#TraeYoungDr pic.twitter.com/n5nbfGfhqh
— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) November 5, 2023
Introducing Trae Young Drive 🧊
The City of Norman, Oklahoma honored Trae by dedicating a street to him in his hometown ❤️🙌 pic.twitter.com/ULhGJjPy2Y
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 5, 2023
With Trae in town to play the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday, the City of Norman took the opportunity to honor Trae on Sunday, November 5 and dedicate the street in front of the YAFC to Trae.
“Less than two percent of NBA players become all-stars,” said Jason Olsen, Director of Norman Parks and Recreation. “My question for you today is what percentage of those all-stars give back to their community like Trae Young?”
Trae was understandably humbled by the unique honor but told Andscape’s Marc Spears that it hasn’t completely hit him yet.
“It’s still just a whirlwind,” he said. “As athletes and pros, we all dream of being in the NBA or dreaming of hitting big shots and big moments or whatever. You don’t necessarily dream about having your own street named after you. So having that is surreal and I don’t know if it’s really hit me yet. I think it will once I see people really driving on it and me having to type in [and] drive on my Apple map search to get it; that’s when I think it would hit me.”
Hawks teammates and Legends, including Dominique Wilkins were on hand for the event, giving everyone a chance to get a glimpse at the progress of the Young Family Athletic Center, which is scheduled to open in January.
“All my teammates came out,” Young said. “I didn’t even tell any of them about me having my own street named after me or I was going to be celebrating it when I got here. But I think a couple of them got word. And then they all told me that they was coming. So, to see them all show up, it was really cool because I know they’re all busy.”
Giving back to Norman has always been important to Trae.
The city that made him is never far from his thoughts.
“Norman meant everything to me,” Young said. “I let everybody know I was born in Texas but raised in Oklahoma. I definitely put the Oklahoma flag on my back because I know I really grew up here. I went to elementary school here, middle school here, high school and then college. So, it really raised me to be who I am today. And I don’t mind letting people know I’m from a small city and a place that not a lot of people really make it to be professionals in anything. So, I definitely try to represent it every day.”
Trae is beyond excited for the YFAC to open and give Team Trae Young and other youth programs in the area state of the art facilities to continue to allow local kids to chase their dreams.
“We have the [YFAC] that we built, and my street leads right onto it. So, we will have some of the biggest tournaments, some of the biggest high school games,” Young said. “I’m trying to have them brought to Oklahoma and you’re going to have to turn onto Trae Young Drive if you’re going to want to go to the gym. So, it is a pretty cool thing.”