NBA star Trae Young appears at WWE SmackDown at MSG

NBA superstar Trae Young made a surprise appearance at tonight’s SmackDown at Madison Square Garden, reigniting his rivalry with the New York City fans.

Sami Zayn, who was involved in a 10-man tag match on the show, wore a New York Knicks jersey to the ring and told the crowd that he had a special guest to accompany him and his team at ringside. Zayn then brought out Young, who is the starting point guard of the Atlanta Hawks. Young was met with a chorus of boos.

Young eventually got physical during the match when he choked Rey Mysterio through the bottom rope after a missed 619 attempt. Once the referee caught wind of Young’s actions, Young was ejected from ringside to a massive reaction from the crowd. Rey and Dominik Mysterio hit a double 619 on Zayn, then Big E gave Zayn the Big Ending to get the win.

Led by Young, the Atlanta Hawks defeated the New York Knicks in the first round of the NBA playoffs this summer. Young had great performances during the series, which led to the Knicks fans’ feud with him. There was even an instance during the playoff series where a Knicks fan spit on Young.

Young is a WWE fan and even helped the company announce their WWE Day 1 pay-per-view recently. The PPV is taking place at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on New Year’s Day 2022.