The jersey stayed intact — but his reputation took the hit.
Trae Young’s attempt at showmanship went sideways Saturday in Midtown, where the NBA star struggled badly while trying to rip up a Jalen Brunson jersey and quickly became the target of online mockery.
Young appeared to be leaning into his familiar rivalry with the New York Knicks and their famously fiery fanbase during a Fanatics Fest appearance, walking on stage in a bit that seemed to echo his past WWE-style theatrics, according to video from the event.
But the “Big Body Brunson” jersey proved tougher than expected. Young spent nearly 30 awkward seconds at the Javits Center trying and failing to tear the shirt in half as the stunt lost steam in real time.
After several unsuccessful pulls, he abandoned the effort and flung the jersey into the crowd instead.
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It did not take long for Knicks fans to pounce, turning the failed jersey-ripping moment into fresh fuel for the Trae Young–Knicks rivalry.
“Did he forget his ass is Trae Young?” DJ Zullo of the Knicks Film Skool podcast wrote on X.
Young later insisted the whole thing was meant as a joke.
He posted a video of himself of social media watching highlights of previous performances against the NBA champs, and said “I just be trolling sometimes.” while adding laughing face emojis.
“Happy for some of my boys over there fr!” he added, while including salute and hands-together-praying emojis.
Young briefly made himself public-enemy No. 1 at Madison Square Garden in 2021 by famously bowing to the crowd while knocking the Knicks out of the playoffs as a star for the Atlanta Hawks.
