Trae Young's Kid Brother Made a Film About the Atlanta Hawks Star for Adidas

Outspoken and very much his own man, Atlanta Hawks’ guard Trae Young generates lots of headlines. Some view him as a controversial figure, but his kid brother holds a markedly different view.

Their mutual affection and respect shine through in “Trae,” a short film for Adidas told from Tim Young’s point of view. In fact, the 13 year-old narrates and shot the video.

Developed with Johannes Leonardo, the clip takes a no-frills approach, set far from the glitz of big-time hoops.

“You’re not a bad guy or whatever,” Tim says at one point. “You just want to win. No matter what. And now, so do I. Because it’s bigger than basketball for us.”

Adidas hopes the low-key home movie will resonate with Gen Z and stand out from the amped-up, super-slick productions that dominate pro sports and athletic apparel.

As for the initial inspiration, “I’ve just gotten to the point in my life where I realized my little brother thinks I’m really cool,” JL copywriter Chris Chance tells Muse. “He also sees me at my best and my worst. So, if I ever wanted someone to describe me, it’d definitely be him. That thought inspired how we captured Trae this spot, getting the real, raw version of him the media doesn’t see.”

“We gave Tim a camera and asked him to capture raw and unfiltered moments between the two. We hoped for the best and we couldn’t believe what we got back. It was much better than we expected. It was real. It was also really really good, like this kid should go to film school.” 

The results are refreshingly hype-free, loving but never treacly. Though somewhat scripted, Tim’s narrative doesn’t feel forced. Trae’s intensity still comes to fore, but in a highly relatable way.

The project hypes Trae’s newest kicks, which dropped a few days ago. But beyond that, the team made the film “to shift the narrative that the media has given him. To show people who Trae REALLY is,” Chance says.

“It goes back to Adidas’ campaign ‘Remember the Why,’ which is about focusing on your motivation and how you got here in the first place. Trae’s motivation is his family, and this spot ties that all together.”