Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young recently announced that he would be the assistant general manager for the Oklahoma men’s basketball team, and he’ll also be donating $1 million to the program. Young is now the second active NBA player to do this, as Stephen Curry was the first to do so for his alma mater, Davidson College.
“It was something that was brought to me and things like that,” Young said via Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “And we have been in discussion for a minute now, and I’m always trying to see how I can help my former team and university. Anytime I have a chance I can go watch them play in person, I always try to. So, it was a no-brainer.”
Young played for Oklahoma for one season and captured the freshman season records for points (876), assists (279), and 3-pointers (118) while also being the OU single-season record holder in scoring average (27.4), assist average (8.7) and free throw makes (236). Now, Young is hoping to bring the right talent to the team and help them win a championship.
“It’s about getting the right character kids and right players and building something that’s sustainable, and something that you want to be a part of every year, and kids coming up want to be a part of. So that’s the main goal. I know that million dollars is a big deal, and it’s going to be put to use for these kids coming up. But me, it’s about the winning and it’s about the connection I have with these kids.”
Trae Young accepts role as assistant GM at Oklahoma
In a statement from the University of Oklahoma, they shared what Young will be responsible for doing in his new role with the men’s basketball team.
“Young’s responsibilities will include assisting with the evaluation of high school and transfer portal prospects, as well as helping negotiate player contracts in accordance with NCAA and conference rules and the team’s revenue share budget. He will also assist with university fundraising initiatives to help grow support for OU’s men’s basketball program,” the University of Oklahoma wrote in a statement.
With how the way basketball is evolving, this is no surprise that current players are taking executive roles, and it makes it even better that Young and Curry went back to their alma maters to do so. This seems like something that will continue to happen within the league, as college teams are trying to find the right talent to develop.
The post Why Hawks’ Trae Young made decision to take college assistant GM role appeared first on ClutchPoints.
