Nick Young has lost his luster. Fortunately for all of us, though, the Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard still has his sense of humor fully intact.
It was much less than a year ago that Young was something akin to a cult favorite. His hilarious one-liners, rapper girlfriend (turned fiancée), and penchant for highlight-reel plays of both positive and negative effect endeared him to basketball fans across the country – or at the very least afforded him a wholly unique brand of fame.
“Swaggy P,” basically, was a star. But it appears the man we grew to know, love and loathe is gone, replaced by another who is not only much more formal, but presumably much less fun, too.
Nick Young: "I'm Nicholas this season. Call me Nicholas from now on."
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) September 28, 2015
For what it’s worth, Nicholas appears to be Young’s legal name.
Does this change mean a similar one is coming on the court? Might Young’s shot-happy, defense-averse ethos give way to a style of play much more effective? Might he finally leverage his rare shot-making gifts and obvious athletic prowess into becoming an impactful performer?
That’s wishful thinking, unfortunately. Young is 30 years-old and entering his ninth NBA season, leaving an extremely small amount of room – if any at all – for his game to grow in a positive manner. At this point, down is pretty much the only realistic direction for Young’s career to go.
And considering that’s clearly the case, ‘Nicholas’ indeed seems a much more appropriate name than ‘Swaggy.’
