Taurean Prince Claims Hawks Coaches Were Angry With His Game-Winner Because They Wanted To Tank

Taurean Prince was a guest on the 'Run Your Race' podcast. He recalled an incident during his time with the Atlanta Hawks . In a game against the Phoenix Suns , Prince made a game-winning three-pointer. Expecting congratulatory reactions from his coaches, Prince was surprised that they didn't applaud him. He then speculated that it was because the team was intentionally tanking to gain a high draft pick.

"I was hitting game-winners and sh*t, and nobody celebrated... It was against Phoenix. I hit it right in front of my bench, not one coach clapped, but they was trying to lose. Now I get it, but in the moment, even as a hooper today, you can never put me in that moment because I’m trying to win the ball game. So, that’s what that was.”

(35:14 onwards)

The game Prince was talking about took place on March 4th, 2018. It was in Prince's second season with the Hawks, as they were trying to rebuild their team. While Prince may have been frustrated about the tanking, the Hawks will have no regrets, as that season's poor performance landed them the third overall pick in that year's draft.

The Hawks would end up selecting Luka Doncic with the third overall pick but would conduct a trade with the Mavericks in exchange for the draft rights to Trae Young . This move landed them their franchise star, someone whom they are still building around to this day.

While the decision to trade Doncic for Young was applauded in the immediate aftermath of the deal, it is clear to see now that the Mavericks got the better end of the deal. While Young is by no means a bad player, Doncic has proven himself to be a generational talent who will undoubtedly win championships during his time in the NBA.

Taurean Prince Yet To Find Championship Success In The NBA

Taurean Prince would end up leaving the Hawks to join the Nets as part of the trade. On the Nets, Prince got his wish of playing for a contender. But Prince never got to play alongside Kevin Durant, as he was sent to the Cavaliers as part of the James Harden trade. Prince would soon be traded to the Timberwolves .

Spending two years with the Timberwolves, Prince would make the playoffs with them in 2022, only to be eliminated by the Memphis Grizzlies . The following season, the Timberwolves would get knocked out of the first round of the playoffs once again by the Denver Nuggets , who would go on to win the NBA championship that year.

In 2023, Prince signed with the Los Angeles Lakers . He would finally experience the joy of winning silverware, as he and the Lakers became the first team in NBA history to win the inaugural NBA Cup. However, he and the Lakers would get dispatched by the Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs.

Prince has opted to sign with another contender, this time in the East with the Milwaukee Bucks. Prince will have his shot to win a championship playing alongside Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Related: Taurean Prince Opens Up About Lakers Firing Darvin Ham: "The Best For Both Situations"

Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News . We really appreciate your support.