The team leader was traded during the game! The NBA is just that cold and ruthless, don’t talk about loyalty!

Actually, I wanted to mention this point yesterday.

Unexpectedly, NBA legend “The Smile Assassin” Thomas also came forward to criticize it.

He said:“The Trae Young trade shows how desperately the NBA’s trade culture needs reform; trading players during games is highly unprofessional. Remember, these are flesh-and-blood people.”

From the perspective of a cameraman or someone who appreciates good visual storytelling, I really like these scenes. The NBA’s broadcast production is indeed top-notch, making everything very clear.

It quickly draws people into that kind of atmosphere...

Just like the documentary “The Last Dance” about Jordan.

But from Trae Young’s point of view,

it’s really hard to accept.

The trade notification landed during a game break; he walked alone into the players’ tunnel to confirm the details.

Then he returned to the sidelines to hug the coaching staff and teammates one by one, said his goodbyes, and turned to leave, leaving Atlanta fans with a hurried farewell.

He didn’t even have time to properly say goodbye to the home fans or compose his emotions.

Such sudden news is a subtle blow to a player’s professional dignity.

At that moment, there were tears in Trae Young’s eyes.

No one would have expected that the “Mayor of New York,” who once ignited the entire arena with deep three-pointers and ghostly passes, would part ways with the team he served for eight years in such a rushed and even embarrassing manner.

Perhaps even the player himself wasn’t mentally prepared.

He was like a product discarded from the shelf, packaged and sent away amid the game day’s noise.

Some fans joked that moving to Washington was a promotion; some cynics scoffed, saying there’s no need to pity a millionaire earning tens of millions;

......

But that’s not what I’m talking about. If everything is measured by salary, then talking about basketball loses meaning.

No matter how rich he is, he’s still human. Trae Young experiences the same joys and sorrows as ordinary people.

So once again, I feel thatin the NBA world, loyalty never truly exists.Before Trae Young’s tearful farewell, Luka Dončić, who was traded for him on draft day, had already shed all his tears.

Even a talent like Doncic can’t control his own fate... so Trae Young’s situation becomes easier to understand.

A player’s greatest loyalty is to play hard and show professionalism while on the team.

The idea of one player for one city is often just a self-comforting feeling for fans.

Are there too few examples?

DeMar DeRozan was suddenly traded to the Spurs despite management’s promise that he was “not for sale.”

Isaiah Thomas played through injuries for the Celtics, endured the pain of his sister’s passing, led the team to the Eastern Conference Finals, yet was still traded as a bargaining chip.

Derrick Rose, the “Windy City Rose,” had a similar fate...

Regarding the Smile Assassin’s call for urgent reform in NBA trade culture,

I agree; essentially, it’s a call for the league to show more humanity.

On one hand, players are flesh-and-blood individuals with emotions and dignity, and deserve basic respect and decency.

On the other hand, Trae Young being traded mid-game, wouldn’t that affect the Hawks’ teammates’ performance? Doesn’t it cause emotional fluctuations?

Trae Young is not an isolated case.

On February 7, 2019, Harris Barnes, then with the Mavericks, was also traded to the Kings during a game, which drew criticism from fans and media about the Mavericks’ poor handling of the situation.

I still remember Barnes’ expression, unable to hide the disappointment and confusion in his eyes.

He still maintained professionalism, sitting on the Mavericks’ bench and watching a quarter of the game...

That was probably the longest, toughest, and most internally conflicted half hour of Barnes’ life.

As an emotional person, I find it hard to watch scenes like this.

Although I can’t truly empathize, it still moves me...