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Trae responds to constant Luka comparisons: 'Just let it be'

Scott Cunningham / National Basketball Association / Getty

Trae Young and Luka Doncic will forever be intertwined after being dealt for each other on draft night last year.

While the rising Atlanta Hawks star realizes that the endless comparisons are natural, Young says he's tired of the conversation.

"For me, it bothers me - I just love playing basketball, I know he does," Young told ESPN's Royce Young. "So it bothers me because it's annoying just getting asked about it all the time. But I know it comes with it. I didn't ask for it to happen, but it happened."

"It's two totally different situations, two totally different players," he added. "He's playing well, I'm playing well. Just let it be."

Young sent out a cryptic tweet last month with an apple and orange emoji, which he seemed to confirm was a nod to the Doncic comparisons.

The Dallas Mavericks' wunderkind continues to rewrite the NBA record books in just his sophomore campaign, and he's emerging as an early-season MVP candidate.

Watching Doncic's meteoric ascent from afar has driven Young to prove the Hawks right after their decision to trade for him.

"Obviously there's a little bit of motivation there - I have a lot of different thoughts and motivations, so that's a little bit of it," Young said. "I think both teams did what's best for them.

"I think what we have going on: the rebuilding process, getting a lot of young guys and trying to build that way, build this city up, build the culture we have. It's great, it's growing. We have a lot of fans here that are supporting us."

Young ranks fifth in league scoring at 28.2 points per game and fourth with 8.3 assists per contest. He owns one of the NBA's top usage rates but has remained efficient, shooting 45.7% from the floor and connecting on 38.5% of his 3-point attempts.

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