At this point, we simply shouldn’t be surprised when Nick Young does something a bit out of the ordinary.
The former NBA wing, perhaps best known for prematurely celebrating a missed 3-pointer, has said some wild things over the years. But his latest antics may be surprising to anyone who has ever hooped at even a mildly competitive level.
Young, also famously known as Swaggy P, recently attended a scrimmage for USC alum versus current players on the Trojans roster. Joined by players like Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley, the 38-year-old had a very surprising outfit that he decided to wear on the court.
.@NickSwagyPYoung really pulled up to the alumni scrimmage in jorts 😭 pic.twitter.com/ckAzl5gNqx
— USC Men's Basketball (@USC_Hoops) August 1, 2023
Young actually wore jean shorts while he was playing this game.
If it sounds crazy to ball in anything but basketball shorts, that’s because it absolutely is a reckless decision.
The mobility offered by mesh shorts is about a thousand times more than anything you could ever get while wearing denim, no matter the length. But even though it sounds like something you would read about in The Onion, it isn’t actually as unheard of as you might expect.
Larry Bird, a three-time MVP, actually showed up to his first collegiate scrimmage with his brother and his friend while wearing similar attire. Here is more from Seth Davis (via SI.com):
“When the trio arrived at the gym, they were wearing blue jeans and tennis shoes. Hodges offered to get them some basketball gear, but they declined. They were used to playing in jeans, even if they were running outdoors in the dead of summer. Hodges offered a second time to get them shorts and basketball sneakers, but they again said that’s okay; they’d just as soon play in their jeans.”
So maybe Young was actually just paying tribute to Larry Legend?
Young posted on Instagram that “hoopers can hoop in anything” and that actually, his jorts look good.
