Two undersized guards etched their names in history books before entering the league. First, it was Trae Young, the only male player in NCAA history to lead the country in both points and assists. Similarly, it was Caitlin Clark who led the NCAA in points and assists, becoming the first women’s player to do so. One can understand why their games get compared. The comparison came to light thanks to a trainer who has helped multiple stars, including LeBron James and Kevin Durant.

Michael Porter Jr., too, has worked with Chris Brickley, who previously was one of the assistants with the Knicks team. There, he met Carmelo Anthony and worked with him for years, not just in a team capacity but as a personal trainer, and even today continues to be in touch. That’s how other players came to know about Birckley’s training abilities. Apart from James and KD, even Trae Young came in contact with the former Knicks assistant coach.

That’s why Birckley was appreciative of what the Hawks superstar brings to the table and wanted everyone else to acknowledge the 4x All-Star. “You’re right. so relatable like relatable my boy next like like to people like that are regular height and yes Trae’s quick don’t get me wrong but like just like normal people walking around like could look at Trae Young and be like like that could be me.” That relatability factor, being an undersized guard and a regular person, is what Birckley sees in CC.

“I feel like Caitlin Clark has that effect. I feel like that’s part of why she became so big because she was like someone that’s people could relate to. Yeah, 100%.” On the latest episode of Curious Mike, we got all the revelations from Melo’s former trainer. If you go by size, the two guards, Clark and Young, truly stand out. Not because of their massive build, but a lack of it. For context, reportedly last year’s average weight in the NBA was 215 pounds. And Trae Young’s weight last season was just 164 pounds.

But it did stop him from being a problem in the league? Absolutely not. The Hawks, on average, scored 118 points last season, and their point guard averaged 24.2 points and 11.6 assists. Meaning the floor of his average contribution was 47 points per game. Similarly, the impact of Clark can be seen with her being a floor general. Not just draining three’s but also generating plays for her teammates. When the Fever guard won the ROTY last season, she broke the single-season assist record with 337 assists.

Let’s not forget that in her sophomore year, she trained hard to put 10 pounds of muscle in order to withstand the battle in the W. In fact, one such battle came to light when Caitlin Clark revealed her comments put a dent in her pocket. “Got fined $200 for this lol😂😂😂😂😂BENCH MOB WILL BE EVEN MORE ROWDY TOMORROW LETS GOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! @IndianaFever“. Injury may have ruled her out of this season in the WNBA, but she wasn’t willing to hold back in her criticism of the officials in the aftermath of round 1.

Even Trae Young continues to fight a battle outside of the hardwood

Throughout his career, there have been very few analysts or supporters who have truly understood the impact of Young on the Hawks team. His contributions often go under the radar. Just take last year, for example. His previously mentioned stats should have been enough to cement his spot in the All-Star game, right? Even though he got the nod, it was only after Giannis suffered an injury. So, the 27-year-old is making sure there is no more disrespect to his name.

Patrick Beverley scapegoated Trae Young on his podcast, “They don’t think he’s a good leader. They don’t think he’s a good teammate. … Trae, you could score all the points you want.” Among other things, Pat Bev pointed out that he’s been to the postseason nine times compared to Young’s three. However, the Hawks’ superstar got the support from Kevin Durant and Jeff Teague, among others, in the league. However, the 4x All-Star also set the record straight with a 12-minute response.

“I win play-in games on the road, and I’m ready to get to the playoffs. You win play-in games at home, and you standing on the scorer’s table acting like it’s a championship. We celebrate wins different, too.” Ever since his arrival, Young has been the face of the Atlanta Hawks, carrying the weight of a franchise. He even led Atlanta to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021. Beverley may have had more postseason success, but he wasn’t leading the team like Trae Young.