[Curious Mike Podcast] Trae Young talks about Guarding SGA: “I put my hand on his chest, and I didn’t push or nothing… you would’ve thought I sent an Iron Man hand through his chest.”
Wrong messenger Trae
(My flair is still Ice Trae on Hawks sub ahaha)
Context Trae agreed he’s good at drawing fouls and MPJ wanted to learn how “he can draw more fouls like Jokic Trae and other stars do”. Trae gave an example on how SGA draws them and called it smart.
The full convo he says foul baiting/flopping is a skill in modern nba that guys including him have
do you expect redditors to care about context
What do those words mean
Fr hearing this from Mr. I Jump Backwards On My Jumpshots is wild lol
It’s called repulsor ray Trae
PROTON CANNON!!!
That chair does not look comfortable
Trae is sitting like a shy chick
Talks like one too 😂
My mom got a new couch like this, no fucking back support, it SUCKS
Why do moms always be buying seats that are uncomfortable as hell, mine bought this white couch with an almost knitted texture and it was the worst
I’ve never met your mom, but my experience has been that it’s a result of buying furniture based on looks instead of comfort.
So you don’t sit on it and ruin it lol. It’s going in the second family room that nobody is allowed to be in!
They want you to leave
wait, why is his chair turned away from the mic?
It’s a power move by the interviewer. Make the interviewee as uncomfortable as possible to assert dominance
98% of designer chairs are shit.
Reminds me of the test in MIB 1 where will smith takes the instructors desk
Would you look comfortable if Trae Young was sitting on you? 😉
[deleted]
[removed]
Everything is recorded. Anyone have the footage?
https://www.nba.com/stats/events?CFID=&CFPARAMS=&GameEventID=352&GameID=0022500101&Season=2025-26&flag=1&title=Young%20S.FOUL%20(P1.T2)%20(M.Dagher)
Dam he actually barely touches him
ya that’s wild, that’s not good bball
I’m always skeptical when players say stuff like this because of course nobody ever fouls and everyone always gets fouled without it being called but this is just nasty
Trae practically just brushed his jersey lol
The fact that he takes like 4 steps, gets into shot motion, shoots, then lands to fall is just straight conspiracy. Does trae technically foul him? Sure, but whatever the hell this is of continuation is just insulting to the sport.
I don’t think it’s the fact his hand grazes his chest, looks like SGA lands on Trae’s foot. But I’m watching on a phone and can’t zoom in, correct me if I’m wrong.
From the angle provided, it looks like SGA lands on the side of Trae’s shoe and SGA decides to go down rather than try to muscle through to stay upright. Which kind of aligns with Trae looking rather non-plussed about someone potentially landing on his foot.
edit: From looking at it from an alternate angle, it looks like at best SGA glanced against Trae’s shoe with his moving foot–not really enough. There was definitely leg contact against SGA’s right foot which was in the air, though.
So probably a soft avoidable foul, but one that’s a little understandable.
Definitely Trae ran into the landing space.
His feet are in SGAs space. Sga lands on traes feet, goes down
I’m not an SGA defender, just look at my flair but these players need to play it smarter, he gave him no landing room and SGA sold it.
I think SGA’s version of basketball is terrible to watch but the foul wasn’t because of the hand on the chest. It’s because SGA landed on Young’s foot and then he sold it to draw the refs attention.
MVP BABY!
Man Trae actually undersold what this was like. Shae jumped like he got his head shot off.
Are we sure this is the clip Trae is referring to? Look at the feet. Shai’s not falling from a push, he’s falling because he’s not given space to land. Shai has a foot in the circle when he pulls up and Trae has completely taken that space when he goes to land.
Shai isn’t an innocent saint, but people want to think he’s never fouled.
Thunder flair
I hate to say this, but after watching the video, you’re right.
I gotta go take a shower now…
Ooof SGA
This clip pretty much nails what it’s like to watch SGA, “oof, this guy is just great” followed up with a disappointing noise for the flop
Jesus 😭😂
That’s why I can’t stand SGA’s game. He’s the worst flop merchant in the game. I want Stockton or Thomas to transport from the past and show him what it really means to get fouled by a point guard. Or Stockton or Payton to just steal that ball right away after his egregious travel.
The NBA allows it, they should clean up the game
Its so fucking lame if only because hes such an incredible player. If he didnt do this whack shit all the time hed be the default face of the league and near universally appreciated
This a flop? Trae’s feet are in SGAs space
Just good old fashioned mom and pop old school unwatchable regular season basketball
Yep, floppy fish sga
Right in front of family too. The guy really has no shame.
I wonder if someone put a video of all of SGA’s fouls drawn and counted how many are flops haha
That job could not be easy, who’ll pay for that hazardous labor?
Already done for all 1700 shot attempts last season.
https://youtu.be/06NDLFTVMKQ
MVP of the league ladies and gentlemen, best we have to offer
Goddamn SGA is such a bitch. Can’t respect that kind of basketball or a man that’s making a career out of it.
That’s crazy, there’s way more contact getting to his spot for the shot. But then all of a sudden he gets pushed over by a slight touch.
How is Trae not in jail
SGA acts lame as fuck for how good of a player he is. He doesn’t have to do any of this corny shit to score, but he does and it makes me really dislike him.
People can rave about his greatness all they want, I’ll never enjoy SGA’s brand of basketball
Weak shit with all the falling, flopping, pushing off and baiting
He should have been suspended for that flop.
SGA is a terrorist what the fuck
Is everyone gonna sit here and act like Trae is not in shai’s landing zone? He didn’t fall because of the hand you morons. Look at the foul called.
Gross
(I am a certified SGA hater, but) Am I tripping, or doesn’t he fall because Trae is in his landing space, or at least he lands on Trae’s feet?
I was trying to figure out what really happened because the angle kind of obscures it but it does look like their feet are occupying the same spot
yes he absolutely invades his landing space, the foul is down low and not anything to do with the hand. people are just blinded by their “FTA” hate and cannot be unbiased. good on you ball knower
SGA has his moments of flopping, but this one isn’t bad at all. Definitely a lot of confirmation bias going on in this thread
I feel like I’m going crazy, sga lands and it looks more like he lands and falls because they are both in the same space, like, I legit can’t tell if people have such a bias against sgs that they have to convince themselves this was a flop or if they are legitimately purposely lying. I slowed it down and it still looks like he got tripped up
Trae undercuts him yet people are out here with torches and pitchforks.
Anyone have a mirror?
Is this supposed to be the face of the league? Lmao. This is horrible for the sport.
There’s no way this is the foul he is talking about, Trae tries to sell a charging foul by flopping, and then pretty clearly stands in SGA’s landing space and SGA sold it.
wow I did not miss seeing that shit. almost makes me dread the upcoming season a little
How is that not a technical foul + fine on SGA? League is so ass
So hard to respect Shai when he does shit like this
Holy fuck people are so bias. Trae is clearly in his landing zone but that doesn’t fit the narrative
You are absolutely right and this thread is extremely embarrassing for all the uptight nerds here who are frothing at the mouth for any chance to be pissy about SGA. He clearly senses Trae near his landing space and falls to be safe. Also he made the shot lol, it’s not like he flopped and threw up some garbage. I’m not even an OKC fan but the extent to which people hate this guy is so fuckin cringe
Where are the redditors with OKC flaires defending this?
Imagine telling someone back in like 2021 after Trae Young made the conference finals that a point guard from the 2018 draft was going to win 2 mvps and a championship, and it wasn’t Trae Young or Luka Doncic.
That 2 guards in the next 5 years would combine for 2 MVPs and 2 FMVPs and neither would be Trae or Luka.
Or Brunson smh…
Brunson wasn’t really a star in 2021. It was after 2022 season
Man fuck the Knicks
Twenty nine
That wasn’t very nice of you
Man fuck the Knicks Spurs
https://i.imgur.com/ESYx6ff.jpeg
And was one drafted by the clippers
Honestly I liked SGA more than Trae back in 2021. Trae is good but his defense was never going to be great and we already know not to trust a Doc River’s teams to make a conference finals.
This is why Nico traded Luka for a bag of chips. Imagine telling someone back in 2021 that this happened
Imagine him complaining in 2026 about the same antics he pulled throughout the entirety of the 2021 playoffs
Trae sounds like Michael Jackson
Hehe
And I came back and hee-hee
While looking like a DeBarge.
Its like he’s never quite comfortable
I mean does Chihuahua who was just dunked in and out of a tub of ice cold water look comfortable to you?
Trae is a great defender, he single handedly ruined Ben Simmons career with his HoF defense.
Leave it to Reddit to make the cheesiest jokes ever
Edit: wow, thanks for the likes, kind strangers!
Game recognize game
Cmon now Trae. What did Lebron say, “anybody but you!”
tbf the conversation by Trae Young explaining foul baiting with Michael Porter Jr telling him “how do you guys do it” or something. he’s included in the conversation
didn’t steve nash complain about trae’s foul baiting before?
And that’s his favorite player of all time too lmao. Tbf I don’t think Trae was complaining about the move. Acknowledged it as smart on Trae’s part
He kinda sounds like Michael Jackson when he talks, I wonder if he can sing lol
Bro sound like Michael jackson
Didn’t he lose the Hawks a game last season trying to foul bait?
Many times. (Love you Trae)
The bulls game, tho that was a foul for most players, refs really switched up on Trae after 22
Just one?
This is why watching the thunder is infuriating. They flop on the offensive end and play illegal defense on the other end. Double standard in the same game
It’s such an ugly playstyle, they’re good players but its constantly overlooked due to their bs antics.
Cason Wallace openly grabbing and holding TJ McConnell’s hand while TJ begs for a call is a wild memory.
unrelated, but Google ‘Cason Wallace’ for a quick chuckle
When you keep saying it it must be true
Their fans defending ts makes me so mad lmao
direct that anger towards the refs and league instead lmao, ofc thunder fans will defend their guys
Nah I’m still allowed to be mad at the players leaning into that garbage and ruining the product
How you watching the games? I haven’t seen an OKC game in 2 years because of SGA making it u watchable.
The clip from the play Trae is referring to is literally a landing space foul!
Don’t bother, these people have already made up their minds
Back to back MVPs have you full tilt then huh?
Lmao, thunder fans look like AI with always the same answers
🧹 🧹 🧹
Stay tilted son. Maybe Luka can get top 5 in votes this season, make you feel good about losing in the first round.
all those AI thunder fans unlike you with your totally original take on this and these comments talking about thunder fans and the team flopping, just totally unique stances, crazy
Take that emotion and use it to do something with your life instead
Yup, and SGA doesn’t need the whistle either. I bet if the Refs stop calling it, he’ll adapt and score the same. It’ll be a more entertaining basketball, and probably more reliable in the playoffs. But can’t blame him since flailing is the most efficient way of scoring right now.
Also, the effect it has on the other team for the rest of the game I think isn’t mentioned enough. It puts the other team’s guard into foul trouble, so they either have to sit, or they play less aggressive defense for the rest of the game allowing sga to score regularly easier
Man most of us won’t try to defend it, we’re just kinda sick of everyone acting like it’s only us. Like are you watching guys like Luka and Jokic and calling them out for the same shit? Because they’re doing it. Shai is such a great player that works the system the same way every superstar does, we’re just the flavor of the week to be hated because we got a chip and he got two MVPs
I think it’s overexaggerated tbh, at least in the playoffs. I like watching OKC.
I mean he’s not getting the calls in the playoffs like he does in the season so they’re a lot more enjoyable to watch,
The past 2 seasons, he’s shot literally the same number of free throws per 36 minutes in the playoffs as he did during the season.
It is the massive disparity in how the offense and defense gets called that is people’s issue with the Thunder. Yes, Jokic flops like crazy. But no, the Nuggets do not get to play prison ball on the other side of the court.
Of course they don’t Aaron Gordon is their only good defender.
“Massive” is crazy. We have physical defenders and that shit is adored until it’s your team that loses to it
This sub would have HATED the 2000s Pistons
Wemby flops all the time, plays dirty, and he’s French… And he’s the darling of the league. Don’t make no sense.
Don’t worry. Tides are turning on him after last years playoffs.
And we have Naz Reid’s jaw to thank for that.
Naz Reid.
Hating the French is Boomer humor
Yeah OK Frenchie
then call me grandpa because i hate those baguettes
Victor is okay because the nephews that need to bandwagon him NEED Victor
They like you until you win. If you are competitive but not quite good enough to win, they love you. We were loved as the 8 seed. Once you start winning and sending other teams home, they don’t like you anymore.
Yup. If you watch any NBA basketball game, you’re watching multiple players do it every night. So let’s just stfu with the performative bullshit about this one guy. Drawing fouls has literally been a celebrated skill from the inception of the NBA.
I think it’s less the player and more the team. Thunder as a whole seem to embrace the “you can’t call everything”. I hate it, but I get it at the same time
Its funny because the complaint boild sown to Shai actually plays hard on D and the other guys dont.
Lol Luka won player of the month and dropped in ratings for MVP voting thanks to all of media bitching about his complaining to the refs. You’re yelling at clouds man.
It’s actually because he’s an abysmal defender who complains to the refs endlessly, and the lakers are ass.
oh y’all care, the fanbase is crying all over this thread
The standard Thunder fan response “but Luka”
The standard Lakers fan response that is now in country club pergatory
Yea and in this case someone posted the video above and there is nothing to defend because sga gets his shot off lands and gets tripped up with trae young and yet people are acting like he flopped hard it’s nutty
For every flop there’s about 20 incredible plays.. you’re just looking for what you want to see
It’s funny you think that person actually watches thunder games. Guaranteed they just see clips and repeat talking points from the comments they read.
Shai can have an absurd game shooting multiple fade away jumpers, insane layups, and incredible defense but since he fell down twice he’s a bum
Yep, that’s Reddit. All negativity all the time.
Omg this is the first time I’ve ever seen this sentiment posted online. You’re so fucking wise and not at all a brainless parrot that can’t form their own opinions.
it doesn’t help that the fanbase is one of the worst crybabies in the league
Hmm I wonder why 🤔
You don’t call your own calls in the nba….
Doesn’t make it less annoying/more enjoyable to watch. They should do it if it’s allowed, but the league and the officials needs to be better to not allow it, because it would make for a better product
But blame the refs not the players. Refs could easily cut that shit out if they stopped rewarding players for it
“It’s infuriating because I just gotta appease the Reddit hive mind!!!”
Just say you’re envious the Thunder are a great team kid
Spurs showed how to beat the thunder, you just fucking hit em. Are they gonna flop and over perform? You just fucking hit them as hard as they are pretending you did. Bill Laimbeer would solo this thunder team.
It’s basically cheating and a lame ass way to play
SGA shouldn’t even be in MVP conversations when he plays like that
Obviously the NBA wants the big media market of OKC to be dominate and in the finals.
Where’s the LeBron meme?
I’ve said it before I’ll say it again - blame the refs for rewarding this BS.
People lied on Luka for years and claimed he’s a flopper but SGA is the true flopper, dude’s a POS.
And this is why SGA shouldn’t be a multiple MVP winner. His brand of basketball is TERRIBLE to watch.
SGA is a foul hunting little bitch. Starting to hate the NBA for not killing these theatrics. Might as well roll out a soccer ball.
“rEnt fReE!!”
-thunder fans
Super ironic
thank u trae, now this sub is gonna prop u up and inevitably do wizards top seed talks cuz u insulted their satan #MoreThanYouThink
I would genuinely not be shocked if the wiz were in the mix at the top of the east.
we’re gonna have a really good start against some weaker teams and get potential play in demon talks but prolly only end up like 35 wins cuz we get a long stretch of a tough schedule. which is such a huge improvement, i was begging for just getting 20 last year. i know it’s true for every single team ever but health really gotta be on our side
You must have very strong constitution then cause that’s a crazy thing to say about any team coming off of a 17 win season
They essentially added trae and AD tho, plus the young guys have a year under their belt. Its the most obvious candidate for blowing past expectations
Aj……
I hate SGA’s game. It’s a horrible watch
When Trae Young calls you out for flopping….
Playing physical and toeing the line is a part of the defensive gameplan for the Thunder. If you don’t believe me you didn’t watch the series they had against the Spurs. Very clearly a “they can’t call everything” defense, and this happened because they HAD to adjust. That’s why it’s much more infuriating to play against them because flopping is also very clearly a part of their offensive culture
Trae Young guarded someone?
Why does he sound like Michael Jackson telling a story on the Chappelle Show?
As long as refs reward this behavior it will continue
I mean this is the same guy that scared Ben Simmons so much he pretty much broke.
This was well documented during the WCFs…they were running “lowlights” during the broadcasts of SGA straight up falling down after shots with minimal or no contact. And this wasn’t just occasionally…it was EVERY shot.
We’ll see if the league decides to adjust how they ref it.
They should make a rule that if you fall to the ground, you can’t get back up until a 3 second count or another teammate has to help you up before you can get back on defense. Or after a certain amount of falls you have to undergo concussion protocol or something. Make it a detriment to fall down on offense or embarrassing some way.
They should just use the rule that is already in the rule book and call the foul on the flopper and guys would knock it off real quick, but they refuse to do that for some reason
“The best players in the world shoot the most free throws” thank you for summarizing why I can hardly watch the nba anymore
so were you watching back when jordan shot the most free throws?
you say that like Jordan’s scoring game was centered around flopping, which is what I was referring to. but go ahead, interpret the comment in a way that supports your witty rebuttal and misses the more likely point. great shit bro.
This how I feel when I watch Trae and he baits people behind him on drives
Im a firearms guy, and you see guys who have reaction times that are unthinkable
Like easily 3 shots per second while shooting accurately
The aame way they train to be aimed and ready to react the instant that trigger is fully reset, is the same way SGA trains to flail his entire body the instant he feels a modicum of physical contact
It’s like how fish have sensors along the sides of their body that can detect small changes in water pressure and move before the physical object causing that change ever even touches them.
Trae is a worse flopper but he’s 6’1 so he gets a pass.
How tall is 5 6’1?
whoops. thought was 5 11 but forgot to delete the 5.
Nah. SGA is a grand master great dragon flopper.
Lmao body part moving on its own is crazy
Wait…Trae isn’t Iron Man????? 🤯
Ben Simmons would like a word
Known Ben Simmons stopper Trae young
pot calling the kettle black
Why tf is Trae sounding like that?
You new to the nba?
Um he normally doesn’t sound like that
finish the sentence “other than Steph Curry”
Floppers gonna flop
That’s why you’re ringless.
What game did he do this in I don’t remember this guy stepping on the court ever
Heartbreaking: the worst person you know just made a great point
Worst person!? Lmao why is that Trae Young
Because I hate him, lol
Lol yeah I got that. Are you a Knicks fan or something
Yes, but I hated him long before the single playoff series he beat us in 5 years ago lmao it has nothing to do with his forced villain shit. I just don’t care for his play style, nothing to do with him as a person
Listen SGA deserves the smoke for his flopping habits but cmon man Trae Young? Was Harden busy?
the hardest part is training the refs to learn your moves and give you those calls. Steph is a great example of someone that will never get this call because he didn’t “work” on it early
Season is getting close gotta ramp up
Reddit’s assessments about the Thunder are out of touch with reality you’d think they were bitching about the Wolverine game despite never playing it.
No I won’t engage with this, muting this
MPJ needs to get chaise chairs so his tall asf guests can put their feet up. I love MPJ with my soul, but it’s funny how every few minutes he has to humblebrag about his wealth and success. In this same pod, he was like “sometimes I forget that I’m not a normal person, and I be trying to go places solo. But I’m a multi-millionaire, I should have a body guard lol but I’m cool like that” 😎
He also puts way too much emphasis into how he was the best player in the nation in high school. He said he was hurt for not being the #1 draft pick…and sometimes it seems like he really lacks humility. Sometimes you’re not gonna be the best, but you can do your best. Acknowledging flaws is part of growing up.
I still love him 😍😍 and hope we get him back! He’s just gonna get himself caught tf up by being a hoe and not listening to mentors. I know DeAndre Jordan and Westbrook both put significant time into trying to mentor him.
Fellow players don’t respect that foul baiting style of play