Trae Young has already surpassed a few statistical milestones set by Michael Jordan. Most games with at least 35 points and 10 assists before turning 22 years old, as well as logging the fourth-most 30-point games within a player’s first two seasons.
Plus, Young was featured every night of All-Star weekend in Chicago. After rubbing shoulders with the GOAT in the Windy City, I fully expected our sophomore to come back with a shaved head while maniacally chewing gum on the court. Instead of sleeping, the newly cemented All-Star would be smoking cigars and playing golf around the clock.
As luck would have it, that was not the case. But Young does resemble a perennial MVP candidate who was at the festivities in Chicago. Allen Ezail Iverson. The Answer. Bubba Chuck. The Third Degree.
Compare the stat lines from their seconds seasons in the league:
| Points | Assists | Rebounds | Steals | Turnovers | Field Goal % | |
| Iverson (97-98) | 22 | 6.2 | 3.7 | 2.2 | 3.1 | 46.1% |
| Young (19-20) | 29.8 | 9.4 | 4.3 | 1.1 | 4.7 | 44.1% |
Additionally, there is a lesser-known stat where Young is catching up with the legends of the game, including Iverson — technical fouls. Our prodigy point guard has already totaled an impressive 11 of them this season.
Most websites don’t track technical fouls, but according to TeamRankings.com, Iverson had a respectable 12 T’s in 2007. Over the course of his career, Iverson got called for about 130 in total (7.64 per season for you analytics fans).
Both Young and Iverson deserve our respect for arguing their case with officials. Young is 6’1”, 180 pounds and Iverson was 6’0”, 165 pounds. The physical toll it must take to be a point guard in the league at that size is unfathomable.
Obviously, the two players have very different play styles and played in two very different eras. But both undersized point guards carried lottery teams on their back during their first two seasons, which made their city fall in love with them.
Iverson never got the respect he deserved, so he had to go out and fight for what was his. We are lucky to have a fierce competitor who is willing to do the same. Long live Ice Trae’s cold demeanor.
Addendum: NBA referees are Charmin soft (see below)
Trae Young got a technical on this play. pic.twitter.com/R0osNCD6nL
— FOX Sports: Hawks (@HawksOnFSSE) March 1, 2020
(@Pat_Benson_Jr)
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