Young Trae embracing his role as NBA Villain

[Jamaaliver]

This narrative caught on crazy fast this week!!!

Trae Young, the perfect villain on the perfect stage



Sunday, when he teardropped a dagger in New York’s heart in Game 1 and turned the diehards in Madison Square Garden into church mice, a new kind of star was born. Trae Young the villain. The timing is perfect, too, with the revitalization of the Knicks. And Young strutted on the iconic hardwood like he deserved. Under the same roof where Michael Jordan stood over Patrick Ewing and Xavier McDaniel screaming. In the same arena where Reggie Miller taunted Spike Lee with the choke sign. On the same court where Kobe Bryant drove baseline, double-clutched a reverse dunk with Latrell Sprewell all over him, and soaked up the adulation from the road crowd.

At the Mecca of Basketball. That’s where Trae Young told the crowd to shut up.

And, in hindsight, this makes so much sense. He is an ideal antagonist. He’s wired to wear the black hat...Young was so built for this. The pressure of performing, the heart to take on odds, the ability to produce, the thick skin and sharp tongue — all the things needed to make a good basketball villain, he’s got them. It doesn’t mean he won’t have bad games, or that he doesn’t have flaws to exploit, or that his team will prevail.

It does mean you better not let him beat you. Oh, you better not. Because he’s the opponent who will make you despise him if he wins.

The Athletic

[Jamaaliver]

How Trae Young Became the NBA's Newest Villain

'It's That Little-Man Syndrome'

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Everyone was quick to call Trae a villain on Sunday, but what is a villain? What are we really talking about? For Trae Young, it's the confidence that comes with being great no matter what outsiders think or say or chant.

Ray Young's phone rang around 11 a.m. on Tuesday morning in New York City. It was his son, Trae. "Dad, did you see this?"

Trae was referring to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's proclamation that Trae should stop hunting for fouls and "play the game the right way." It was the latest example of vitriol Trae had received since he lit up the Knicks for 32 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds in his playoff debut in a vintage MSG atmosphere.

"Man, I want to bust these dudes' ass," he told his father on the phone. Ray reminded his son that he's been groomed for this, for proving people wrong. For being public enemy No. 1.

Indeed, he's been doing it his whole basketball career, going all the way back to his AAU days.

"It's who he is and how he was raised. I can't express enough what it is like when you've been the smallest guy on the court your whole life," Ray told Bleacher Report on Tuesday.

Trae understood that what he lacked in height, he had in heart. And the chip on his shoulder began to grow.

It has all culminated in a perfect storm this postseason. New York City and Madison Square Garden—the world's most famous arena—are finally getting a taste of playoff basketball for the first time since 2013. Fifteen thousand fans were in the Garden on Sunday, the highest-attended NBA game since the pandemic started.

And a skinny, 6'2" guard did the thing he's been told his whole career he wouldn't be able to do. Then his favorite song starts playing, one he's loved his whole life: the sound of the boos and the heckles. Spike Lee screaming courtside.

Then comes the smirk.

"It's that little-man syndrome. He's in the Big Apple. He don't care one bit. He's just a kid from Oklahoma.

"He's an Oklahoma kid in New York City. People there probably think he grew up around cows, horses and trailers," says a laughing Ray.

Supervillain mode, activated.

Bleacher Report

[Jamaaliver]

Trae Young's father says Atlanta Hawks star 'loves' being Madison Square Garden villain

Trae Young almost certainly will face more harsh treatment from Madison Square Garden fans Wednesday night when the Atlanta Hawks continue their playoff series against the Knicks, but the star guard's father says his son "loves" being New York's latest basketball villain.

In a scene reminiscent of Reggie Miller's famous spats with Spike Lee and Knicks fans in the 1990s, Young was serenaded with expletive-laced chants from the Garden crowd throughout Sunday's series opener. He responded with a 32-point, 10-assist masterpiece, punctuated by his game-winning shot with less than a second remaining that lifted the Hawks to a 107-105 victory.

Young, 22, said after the game that he considered the boos and curses from fans "a compliment," and his father echoed those sentiments in an interview published Wednesday by the New York Daily News.

"He loves it," said Rayford Young, who was in attendance Sunday night. "There's no sensitive bone in his body when it comes to that."

Rayford told the Daily News that his younger son, Trae's 11-year-old brother, was seated next to him during the game. Rayford said the chants fired up Trae, and he warned MSG fans that they might have created a long-term enemy.

Spoiler:

"When they did it to Reggie Miller, Reggie Miller was in his prime," Rayford told the paper. "He was 28, 29 years old, near the back end of his career. They're going to have to see Trae for the next 10 or 15 years.

"He hasn't hit his grown man weight yet. He hasn't got his grown man strength yet. This is only the beginning. He should be a senior in college right now."

His performance garnered rave reviews around the basketball world but also drew the ire of Knicks fans, including New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who called out Young during a media briefing Tuesday and asked him to "stop hunting for fouls."

Rayford knows that Trae will receive more abuse when the series resumes Wednesday night with Game 2 but says his 6-foot-1 son has overcome adversity since high school.

ESPN

[Jamaaliver]

I can't lie, the kid annoys the hell out of me. The flopping, the trash talkin', the overdribbling and crazy shots. And I've long been concerned that players around the league don't seem to like him.

But the kid has ice in his veins and is well suited to be hated by opposing fanbases.

This role could be very lucrative for him personally as well as our team...as long he continues to thrive and the team continues to win in the years to come.

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Read on Twitter

[shakes0]

I can't lie, the kid annoys the hell out of me. The flopping, the trash talkin', the overdribbling and crazy shots. And I've long been concerned that players around the league don't seem to like him.

But the kid has ice in his veins and is well suited to be hated by opposing fanbases.

This role could be very lucrative for him personally as well as our team...as long he continues to thrive and the team continues to win in the years to come.

Watch on YouTube

Read on Twitter

I don't understand this. How can you love the Hawks and find Trae annoying? he's been nothing short of phenomenal since basically 3 months into his rookie season. he plays hurt, he comes back from injury sooner than expected, the kid is a warrior. If you're an ATL fan and Trae Young annoys you then maybe it's basketball that annoys you?

I've suspected you felt this way based on your posts. It just strikes me as a very weird attitude for a Hawks fan to have. How do you even enjoy the games if Trae annoys the hell out of you?

[DirtybirdGA]

wasn't no trash talking to be held without them saying "**** U", and he's not just going to take a high road, the tunnel quotes that went viral, was still fresh afterwards talking to Shaq.

[Jamaaliver]

I can't lie, the kid annoys the hell out of me. The flopping, the trash talkin', the overdribbling and crazy shots. And I've long been concerned that players around the league don't seem to like him.

But the kid has ice in his veins and is well suited to be hated by opposing fanbases.

I don't understand this. How can you love the Hawks and find Trae annoying?

I've suspected you felt this way based on your posts. It just strikes me as a very weird attitude for a Hawks fan to have. How do you even enjoy the games if Trae annoys the hell out of you?

I've been an avid Hawks fan since 1995 -- literally longer than Trae has been alive. He is another in a long line of Hawks players. Some of the guys I've loved...others not so much. It happens.

I loved Mutmobo.
I hated Josh Smith.

After all these years, I accept it as part of fandom. I root for the kid as he wears my favorite team's jersey.

But I stan for the Atlanta Hawks. And I support Trae Young...for as long as he wears the jersey.

[shakes0]

I can't lie, the kid annoys the hell out of me. The flopping, the trash talkin', the overdribbling and crazy shots. And I've long been concerned that players around the league don't seem to like him.

But the kid has ice in his veins and is well suited to be hated by opposing fanbases.

I don't understand this. How can you love the Hawks and find Trae annoying?

I've suspected you felt this way based on your posts. It just strikes me as a very weird attitude for a Hawks fan to have. How do you even enjoy the games if Trae annoys the hell out of you?

I've been an avid Hawks fan since 1995 -- literally longer than Trae has been alive. He is another in a long line of Hawks players. Some of the guys I've loved...others not so much. It happens.

I loved Mutmobo.
I hated Josh Smith.

After all these years, I accept it as part of fandom. I root for the kid as he wears my favorite team's jersey.

But I stan for the Atlanta Hawks. And I support Trae Young...for as long as he wears the jersey.

I don't think you can say that Trae is "another in a long list of Hawks players". That really oversimplifies it. To be more accurate, say Trae is another in a very short list of Hawks franchise players. Petit, Nique and Trae. That's it. Maybe you can throw Joe Johnson in there as well.

It's one thing to say Josh Smith annoyed you, but to say that about a franchise player like Trae is very disheartening.

[Jamaaliver]

I don't think you can say that Trae is "another in a long list of Hawks players". That really oversimplifies it.

It's one thing to say Josh Smith annoyed you, but to say that about a franchise player like Trae is very disheartening.

And if Luka had stayed here, he'd be a franchise player and we'd be a strong playoff team also.

There's a dozen other young talents of comparable talent and effect as Trae. He's here, and I'm glad.

But the franchise would still be here if Travis had gone in a different direction in the draft.

[shakes0]

I don't think you can say that Trae is "another in a long list of Hawks players". That really oversimplifies it.

It's one thing to say Josh Smith annoyed you, but to say that about a franchise player like Trae is very disheartening.

And if Luka had stayed here, he'd be a franchise player and we'd be a strong playoff team also.

There's a dozen other young talents of comparable talent and effect as Trae. He's here, and I'm glad.

But the franchise would still be here if Travis had gone in a different direction in the draft.

Do you find Luka annoying? Everything you accuse Trae of Luka does the exact same stuff and even at a more "annoying" level. Flopping, trash talking, over dribbling, crazy shots? Those are all things Luka does at an even higher rate than Trae.

[Jamaaliver]

And if Luka had stayed here, he'd be a franchise player and we'd be a strong playoff team also.

There's a dozen other young talents of comparable talent and effect as Trae. He's here, and I'm glad.

But the franchise would still be here if Travis had gone in a different direction in the draft.

Do you find Luka annoying? Everything you accuse Trae of Luka does the exact same stuff and even at a more "annoying" level. Flopping, trash talking, over dribbling, crazy shots? Those are all things Luka does at an even higher rate than Trae.

LOL

They are both obnoxious as hell.

And I am genuinely perplexed that one is so highly regarded while the other is a lightning rod for criticism.

[Sactowndog]

I can't lie, the kid annoys the hell out of me. The flopping, the trash talkin', the overdribbling and crazy shots. And I've long been concerned that players around the league don't seem to like him.

But the kid has ice in his veins and is well suited to be hated by opposing fanbases.

This role could be very lucrative for him personally as well as our team...as long he continues to thrive and the team continues to win in the years to come.

Watch on YouTube

Read on Twitter

Can I admit I feel the same?

Just started following the Hawks because of Bogi but Trae’s game annoys the hell out of me...

Floaters are great but floaters from the free throw line not so much. He could be a great 3 point shooter if he took them from 24 feet but he takes more from 30 ft than 24.... I rarely see him pass move and reset like you see Curry do all the time.

So much of his game seems to be to make the spectacular play versus the winning play. I honestly think this team could win a second round against Philly if Trae would just forgoe the spectacular for the winning. Not to mention I think Trae could be Steph 2.0 so it’s frustrating in that regard also.

Thanks for letting me vent... :-/

[shakes0]

I can't lie, the kid annoys the hell out of me. The flopping, the trash talkin', the overdribbling and crazy shots. And I've long been concerned that players around the league don't seem to like him.

But the kid has ice in his veins and is well suited to be hated by opposing fanbases.

This role could be very lucrative for him personally as well as our team...as long he continues to thrive and the team continues to win in the years to come.

Watch on YouTube

Read on Twitter

Can I admit I feel the same?

Just started following the Hawks because of Bogi but Trae’s game annoys the hell out of me...

Floaters are great but floaters from the free throw line not so much. He could be a great 3 point shooter if he took them from 24 feet but he takes more from 30 ft than 24.... I rarely see him pass move and reset like you see Curry do all the time.

So much of his game seems to be to make the spectacular play versus the winning play. I honestly think this team could win a second round against Philly if Trae would just forgoe the spectacular for the winning. Not to mention I think Trae could be Steph 2.0 so it’s frustrating in that regard also.

Thanks for letting me vent... :-/

Dude, you don't need to proclaim your dislike for Trae. Everyone who posts here is well aware of your ulterior motive when you post in this forum. You're a Bogi stan who gets upset whenever Trae does anything other than pass to Bogi for a catch and shoot 3. Believe me, your feelings are not to hard to figure out.

Also Trae doesn't take floaters from the FT line. If he does it is VERY rare.

Trae doesn't make winning play? GTFO with that nonsense. Hawks are up 1-0 thanks to Trae making winning plays. Hawks are a #5 seed because Trae has made winning plays all season.

We all get it. You love Bogi and you hate Trae. Please refrain from acting like you are anything but a massive Bogi stan when you post here. It's insulting to everyone's intelligence.

[Sactowndog]

I can't lie, the kid annoys the hell out of me. The flopping, the trash talkin', the overdribbling and crazy shots. And I've long been concerned that players around the league don't seem to like him.

But the kid has ice in his veins and is well suited to be hated by opposing fanbases.

This role could be very lucrative for him personally as well as our team...as long he continues to thrive and the team continues to win in the years to come.

Watch on YouTube

Read on Twitter

Can I admit I feel the same?

Just started following the Hawks because of Bogi but Trae’s game annoys the hell out of me...

Floaters are great but floaters from the free throw line not so much. He could be a great 3 point shooter if he took them from 24 feet but he takes more from 30 ft than 24.... I rarely see him pass move and reset like you see Curry do all the time.

So much of his game seems to be to make the spectacular play versus the winning play. I honestly think this team could win a second round against Philly if Trae would just forgoe the spectacular for the winning. Not to mention I think Trae could be Steph 2.0 so it’s frustrating in that regard also.

Thanks for letting me vent... :-/

Dude, you don't need to proclaim your dislike for Trae. Everyone who posts here is well aware of your ulterior motive when you post in this forum. You're a Bogi stan who gets upset whenever Trae does anything other than pass to Bogi for a catch and shoot 3. Believe me, your feelings are not to hard to figure out.

Also Trae doesn't take floaters from the FT line. If he does it is VERY rare.

Trae doesn't make winning play? GTFO with that nonsense. Hawks are up 1-0 thanks to Trae making winning plays. Hawks are a #5 seed because Trae has made winning plays all season.

We all get it. You love Bogi and you hate Trae. Please refrain from acting like you are anything but a massive Bogi stan when you post here. It's insulting to everyone's intelligence.

Just to be clear I don’t hate anyone particularly a basketball player who is on the team I am rooting to win. Do I think Trae has room for improvement? Yep but saying a kid could be Steph 2.0 isn’t exactly trashing his game.

[jayu70]

I can't lie, the kid annoys the hell out of me. The flopping, the trash talkin', the overdribbling and crazy shots. And I've long been concerned that players around the league don't seem to like him.

But the kid has ice in his veins and is well suited to be hated by opposing fanbases.

This role could be very lucrative for him personally as well as our team...as long he continues to thrive and the team continues to win in the years to come.

Watch on YouTube

Read on Twitter

Can I admit I feel the same?

Just started following the Hawks because of Bogi but Trae’s game annoys the hell out of me...

Floaters are great but floaters from the free throw line not so much. He could be a great 3 point shooter if he took them from 24 feet but he takes more from 30 ft than 24.... I rarely see him pass move and reset like you see Curry do all the time.

So much of his game seems to be to make the spectacular play versus the winning play. I honestly think this team could win a second round against Philly if Trae would just forgoe the spectacular for the winning. Not to mention I think Trae could be Steph 2.0 so it’s frustrating in that regard also.

Thanks for letting me vent... :-/

That's the problem - he isn't Steph and trying to force feed him that role isn't better for Trae. It has been discussed ad nauseum, the next thing for Trae to develop is his off ball game, that requires other capable ball handers next to him, we finally have that in Bogi, but off ball movement takes time to develop, he can't just run to run, it ha to be with purpose and a part of the game plan, hopefully he gets there. For now we need him to play to HIS strengths and not be a knock off Steph. Additionally, he takes the longer 30 foot 3 point shots and hits them at a higher percentage than the 24 foot shots - it's easier for defenders to close out to him at 24 feet.

[Sactowndog]

I can't lie, the kid annoys the hell out of me. The flopping, the trash talkin', the overdribbling and crazy shots. And I've long been concerned that players around the league don't seem to like him.

But the kid has ice in his veins and is well suited to be hated by opposing fanbases.

This role could be very lucrative for him personally as well as our team...as long he continues to thrive and the team continues to win in the years to come.

Watch on YouTube

Read on Twitter

Can I admit I feel the same?

Just started following the Hawks because of Bogi but Trae’s game annoys the hell out of me...

Floaters are great but floaters from the free throw line not so much. He could be a great 3 point shooter if he took them from 24 feet but he takes more from 30 ft than 24.... I rarely see him pass move and reset like you see Curry do all the time.

So much of his game seems to be to make the spectacular play versus the winning play. I honestly think this team could win a second round against Philly if Trae would just forgoe the spectacular for the winning. Not to mention I think Trae could be Steph 2.0 so it’s frustrating in that regard also.

Thanks for letting me vent... :-/

That's the problem - he isn't Steph and trying to force feed him that role isn't better for Trae. It has been discussed ad nauseum, the next thing for Trae to develop is his off ball game, that requires other capable ball handers next to him, we finally have that in Bogi, but off ball movement takes time to develop, he can't just run to run, it ha to be with purpose and a part of the game plan, hopefully he gets there. For now we need him to play to HIS strengths and not be a knock off Steph. Additionally, he takes the longer 30 foot 3 point shots and hits them at a higher percentage than the 24 foot shots - it's easier for defenders to close out to him at 24 feet.

Very valid points. It would be nice to be a tad more efficient but I hear you on his off ball movements and wasn’t here for previous discussions.

[Sactowndog]

I can't lie, the kid annoys the hell out of me. The flopping, the trash talkin', the overdribbling and crazy shots. And I've long been concerned that players around the league don't seem to like him.

But the kid has ice in his veins and is well suited to be hated by opposing fanbases.

This role could be very lucrative for him personally as well as our team...as long he continues to thrive and the team continues to win in the years to come.

Watch on YouTube

Read on Twitter

Can I admit I feel the same?

Just started following the Hawks because of Bogi but Trae’s game annoys the hell out of me...

Floaters are great but floaters from the free throw line not so much. He could be a great 3 point shooter if he took them from 24 feet but he takes more from 30 ft than 24.... I rarely see him pass move and reset like you see Curry do all the time.

So much of his game seems to be to make the spectacular play versus the winning play. I honestly think this team could win a second round against Philly if Trae would just forgoe the spectacular for the winning. Not to mention I think Trae could be Steph 2.0 so it’s frustrating in that regard also.

Thanks for letting me vent... :-/

That's the problem - he isn't Steph and trying to force feed him that role isn't better for Trae. It has been discussed ad nauseum, the next thing for Trae to develop is his off ball game, that requires other capable ball handers next to him, we finally have that in Bogi, but off ball movement takes time to develop, he can't just run to run, it ha to be with purpose and a part of the game plan, hopefully he gets there. For now we need him to play to HIS strengths and not be a knock off Steph. Additionally, he takes the longer 30 foot 3 point shots and hits them at a higher percentage than the 24 foot shots - it's easier for defenders to close out to him at 24 feet.

Trae playing awesome to start tonight. If dude keeps playing like he is this team could be really good! Yes I’m a Bogi fan but I’m a bigger fan of good team basketball where the ball is moving.

[Jamaaliver]

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Trae Young is the ultimate Knicks villain we never knew we needed

In only two first-round playoff games, Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young has already become public enemy No. 1 for New York Knicks fans

There is no love lost between Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young and New York Knicks fans. While it had been a long four years since the Hawks were last in the playoffs, it was twice as long and an umpteenth times more painfully frustrating for the Knicks. Perpetually mired in dysfunction, the Knicks could never get out of their own way with owner James Dolan in charge. He wanted to sell sizzle to an audience that would have been happy eating a two-dollar steak.

What this first-round series has shown us more than anything is that this era of Hawks and Knicks basketball were in need of a rival, one they could call their equal. This one building between Atlanta and New York is starting to feel like the one the Knicks used to have with the Indiana Pacers back in the 1990s. The best part is Young slots in perfectly as 21st century Reggie Miller.

The best part is this increased animus will fester over the offseason and make any Hawks vs. Knicks game next year must-see TV. You can market them on any Turner or Disney network property.

As long as Young fully embraces being the villain, we can enjoy this rivalry for as long as these two teams are on their upward ascent in the Eastern Conference. From the F U chants, to getting spit on, to being told he is balding while at the charity stripe, Knicks fans already hate Young with a fiery passion. The best part is he would love nothing more than to silence them again at MSG.

The next handful of games will only add to the rivalry between Trae Young vs. the New York Knicks.

Fansided

[Jamaaliver]

Trae Young Brings the Noise

The Garden turned Young into a villain, but it’s a role he’s relished playing throughout his career



Young’s third NBA season has been marked by backlash. After making his first All-Star Game and putting up monster numbers as a sophomore, this year Young has faced heaps of criticism—sometimes, reportedly, from his own teammates. He’s been called selfish. His defensive effort has been widely panned. And his methods for foul-drawing have drawn the ire of fans and coaches alike.

But Young remains undeterred. After a rough start to the season, he helped lead the Hawks to one of the best second-half records in the NBA. Now, he’s using the name-calling and jeers of one of the biggest and loudest basketball crowds in over a year as motivation. Like Reggie Miller before him, he’s been cast as a Garden villain, and he’s relishing the role.

Big moments are nothing new for Young—and neither is that chip on his shoulder. Young was a talented high school prospect, with a father who played ball professionally overseas, but he was also short and lanky. When he was 14, he would push himself to the front of the line on drills, only to be sent to the back by more veteran players. Rejections fueled him—first propelling him to a scholarship at Oklahoma, and later to becoming the no. 5 pick in the 2018 draft. Sometimes his edge would border on arrogance, but it’s also what made him great.

Spoiler:

Young was quickly labeled a bust when he struggled early on in his rookie season, and even when he did show star potential, constant comparisons to Luka Doncic, the player Atlanta traded on draft night, diminished his accomplishments.

Young’s brash style of play didn’t earn him much love in the league, either. During his second season, Young developed a habit of dribbling through his defender’s legs. He did it once to JJ Redick in a preseason game and to Deandre Ayton in the Rising Stars game, then tried to do it to Trevor Ariza, who promptly gave him a shoulder to his chest.

He became a master of drawing fouls this season, often stopping on a dime or backing into defenders to draw contact. But after earning 16 trips to the foul line this season in a December game against the Nets, Brooklyn coach Steve Nash, a Hall of Fame point guard Young grew up emulating, dismissed his tactics. “That’s not basketball,” Nash said.

Young’s boldness is his allure. The deep 3s and audacious passes he unleashes are made for highlight reels. Fans voted him an All-Star starter last season, and though he didn’t make the team this year, he has one of the best-selling jerseys in the league. But the same qualities that attract fans also breed resentment.

“I talk to him about it,” his father told ESPN earlier this season. “I want him to stay healthy. I don’t want anyone to cheap-shot him. He tells me, ‘Dad, I’m fine. This is part of my game.’”

Young has even clashed with his teammates and coaches over his play. In January, The Athletic reported that forward John Collins told Young during a film session to stop taking shots early in the shot clock. Tensions with Lloyd Pierce also grew, as Young didn’t respond well to the coach’s tough-love approach. Pierce was fired in March, a move Young reportedly supported.

In Game 2, the Garden crowd was particularly harsh toward Young. They booed when he touched the ball. Fans coordinated a “Trae is balding!” chant before the game by distributing sheets of paper with instructions. Things turned ugly in the fourth quarter, when a fan spit on Young as he prepared to inbound the ball.

“Completely unacceptable,” Collins said on Thursday. The Knicks later banned the fan indefinitely.

But if Young noticed, he certainly didn’t show it. He scored 20 of his team-high 30 points in the first 24 minutes. He used 3s, the midrange, and off-balance layups to keep the Knicks at bay for much of the game. The Hawks lost 101-92, evening the series, and the crowd made their feelings known yet again when the final buzzer sounded. Young, however, made sure not to leave without a response:

“I’ll see you in the A!”

The Ringer

[Jamaaliver]

You could hear a pin drop in the Garden tonight. Clinching the series on the road at NY: Priceless!!!

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