Atlanta Hawks Superstar Trae Young Named Assistant General Manager For Oklahoma Sooners Basketball

Young joins Stephen Curry as star NBA players who are going back to college to help out their alma mater

Jan 11, 2025; Athens, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks player Trae Young with his son Tydus watch the game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Oklahoma Sooners at Stegeman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Earlier this month, Warriors superstar Steph Curry was named the assistant GM for Davidson Basketball, his alma mater, becoming the first current player to hold such a role with a program. Today, Atalnta Hawks point guard Trae Young followed Curry's lead and is going to become the assistant GM for his alma mater, the University of Oklahoma.

Trae Young has accepted a role with Oklahoma as an assistant GM for the men's basketball program, he announced on NBA Today with @malika_andrews.

Making a difference with his alma mater 👏 pic.twitter.com/FeJNFbsKZW

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) March 31, 2025

Young had this to say on ESPN's NBA Today about his new position with the Sooners:

"I am excited to announce that I have accepted a role with OU basketball and being an assistant GM, as well as making a $1M dollar donation to get this thing started so it is exciting to be a part of this, being from Norman, playing there obviously, these are exciting times and I am looking forward to being in this new role."

What made Young want to get involved in this right now?

"Well I think obviously the game has changed and college basketball, the way it has changed, I think it is the perfect time for guys to be more involved with the schools and help push them to be what they were. I know for someone like Steph and me, I mean we represent our schools off the court and in the locker room, talking trash so now to be able to represent even more, it is going to be even more special."

According to ESPN, "Young will assist with the evaluation of high school and transfer portal prospects, help negotiate player contracts, and guide players in building their brands."

"Trae is a son of Norman, Oklahoma, and he's given so much to our city and its people," Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione said. "He has a strong affinity for this place and his commitment to ensuring our community is a thriving one is truly unmatched. He's also an OU legend who, in his time here and since, continues to achieve excellence both on and off the court."

In a recent article, CBS Sports' Matt Norlander ranked the biggest stars in college basketball over the last 25 years, Young was ranked No. 16:

College season: 2017-18
Accolades/stats: 2018 NFOY, Consensus First Team A-A, Big 12 FOY, *27.4 ppg, *8.7 apg, 3.9 rpg

"The only player in NCAA history to lead the sport in points and assists in the same season — as a freshman, no less — is a no-brainer for the list. The combo guard was a revelation in the first half of that season, when Oklahoma got out to a 14-2 start. More losses piled up in the second half, but the Sooners still made the NCAA Tournament and Young continued to rack up big numbers. Young's production got so voluminous, ESPN would put his stats on the screen for games he wasn't even playing in, or sometimes do live cut-ins from other games to show him. There was some backlash at the time over this, but it spoke to his star power."

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