Nick Young Signed With Lakers For The Opportunity, Not To Come Home

When Nick Young signed with the Lakers, many felt that his hometown ties were ultimately the biggest factor in his decision to sign a two-year deal worth roughly $2.3 million dollars.

Young grew up in the city and played both high school and college basketball in the area, so in a sense coming home for a pay-cut would seem like the most logical decision, right? Not exactly.

According to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News, coming back home to family and friends wasn’t the main attraction for Young to play for the Lakers. He was actually more intrigued with the idea of  having an opportunity to contribute. As a matter of fact, the Lakers and Young expressed mutual interest last season, but Young wasn’t keen on a minimal bench role.

“They had Dwight [Howard], [Steve] Nash and Antawn Jamison,” Young said in an interview with the Los Angeles Daily News recently after playing in the Drew League at King-Drew Magnet High School in downtown Los Angeles. “I didn’t want to just be another guy on the bench. I felt like I wouldn’t have been a good fit.”

Young indicated that he received interest from multiple teams including the Sacramento Kings and the Dallas Mavericks, but never envisioned a defined role for himself with those franchises. With the Lakers, he feels that he is in the perfect place to take his career to the next level.

Surely it will be a challenge for Young to adjust to the demands that come with playing for a storied franchise like the Lakers, but he has the confidence in himself that he will live up to expectations.

“I’ve been waiting for this,” Nick Young told Lakers Nation’s Serena Winters at the Drew League over the weekend. “We got some legends on our team this year that’s fighting to get back as fast as they can.”

With Kobe likely out for the beginning of the season due to his Achilles injury, it will be exciting to see what Nick Young can bring to this evolving Lakers squad.

Did you miss our exclusive interview with Nick Young over the weekend? Check out our interview below and and don’t forget to click here to subscribe to our YouTube Channel!

You May Also Like

Lakers News: Lakers Tweet Video of Darius Morris’ Workout

The 2013 NBA Finals kickoff tonight between the Miami Heat and the…

Lakers News: Tyler Lydon Impresses Rob Pelinka During Pre-Draft Workout

Former Syracuse forward, Tyler Lydon, held his pre-draft workout with the Los Angeles Lakers yesterday afternoon at the Lakers practice facility in El Segundo…

VIDEO: Phil Jackson Says Kobe Bryant Is “Like A Son”

In an interview with Seth Davis, Phil Jackson talked about his first…

Mychal Thompson Sees Similarities Between Warriors And Lakers Fans

During the Showtime era, Mychal Thompson won two championships in four NBA Finals appearances with the Los…