Over the last year or two, we've covered Nick Young quite a bit here on Complex Sports. So from his relationship with Iggy Azalea to his hilarious friendship with Jeremy Lin, we know a lot about Swaggy P. But for the most recent issue of Sports Illustrated, SI reporter Lee Jenkins caught up with the Lakers star to discover even more about him. And in the process, Jenkins revealed a bunch of stuff that we didn't know about Young.
If you want to read the entire SI piece—it's worth it, especially if you've been following Young's career over the last eight years—you can check it out here. Scroll down to see the 10 Things We Learned From Sports Illustrated's Profile on Nick Young.
Over the last year or two, we've covered Nick Young quite a bit here on Complex Sports. So from his relationship with Iggy Azalea to his hilarious friendship with Jeremy Lin, we know a lot about Swaggy P. But for the most recent issue of Sports Illustrated, SI reporter Lee Jenkins caught up with the Lakers star to discover even more about him. And in the process, Jenkins revealed a bunch of stuff that we didn't know about Young.
If you want to read the entire SI piece—it's worth it, especially if you've been following Young's career over the last eight years—you can check it out here. Scroll down to see the 10 Things We Learned From Sports Illustrated's Profile on Nick Young.
1. He pays not one, but two "shoe keepers" to take care of his sneaker collection that includes more than 500 pairs.
Last year, Nick Young and Iggy Azalea purchased a 6,600-square-foot home in California that used to be owned by Selena Gomez. Young is currently turning a detached building that is a part of the home into a "shoe house," and he pays two "shoe keepers" to keep it in good order.
2. He once took Gilbert Arenas' American Express Black Card to run some errands and ended up buying himself a laptop and an iPhone with it.
Young was living with Arenas at the time—rent-free—and regularly ran errands for him. Arenas got him back for buying the pricey electronics by shooting him with a paintball gun. He also took the tires off Young's Range Rover once and rolled them into a meeting room while the Wizards were watching game tape.
3. His mom had an interesting interaction with Kobe Bryant long before her son ended up playing with him.
Young's mom Mae saw Kobe walking inside of the Fox Hills Mall in Culver City, Calif. a short time after he was accused of sexual assault in 2003. She called him over to her and gave him a hug. "Boy, give me a hug!" she yelled. "I know people say you're an asshole, but I don't think so."
4. He referred to himself as "Swaggy Claus" at the Lakers' holiday party last month and encouraged kids—and at least one of his Lakers teammates—to sit on his lap.
Xavier Henry, who was released by the Lakers a short time after the party, turned down Young's offer.
5. He is named after Nick Barkley, a character who appeared in the Western TV series, "The Big Valley," back in the 1960s.
Young's father Charles was a big fan of the show and decided to name his youngest son after one of the lead characters. Young told SI that it was his father—a former actor who landed roles in three movies—who inspired his "swag" by showing the boy old photos of himself. "I'd look at all those old pictures where he had the big Afro and the gold chains," he says. "That was so cool to me."
6. He has been picking out his own clothes and taking an interest in fashion since he was in preschool.
Young told SI that his mother once forced him to wear an alligator-print shirt to school. He hated it and, after that, decided that he was going to decide what he wore.
7. His older brother Charles Jr.—who was like a second father to him—was shot and killed by a Bloods gang member when Young was just a kid.
If you want to get a better sense of why Young acts the way he does today and how he manages to smile in the face of adversity, this is the one part of the SI profile that you have to read.
8. He started driving when he was just 14.
Young used his older brother Terrell's license and racked up a ton of tickets as a teen.
9. He listened to Soulja Boy's "Pretty Boy Swag" on repeat during the summer of 2011 and came up with the idea of creating his alter ego Swaggy P.
That explains a lot, doesn't it?
10. He compares his closet to "Superman's phone booth."
Young admits that, at times, all the losing the Lakers have done lately has had a negative effect on him. That is, until he steps into his closet. "I come in here, get dressed up, put on something nice," he says, "and I'm Swaggy P again."