Los Angeles Lakers guard Nick Young has long been known for his colorful personality, with his “Swaggy P” alter-ego to his Cheshire Cat grin bringing a bit of good-natured humor to the NBA. Players are often praised for their serious, no-nonsense professionalism, but Young has proven that hard work can feature a bit of fun, too.
In fact, Young’s resurrection was one of the feel-good stories of the regular season. He was thought to be a near-lock to be cut by the Lakers prior to training camp, but head coach Luke Walton opted to give him a chance to prove himself.
Walton specifically requested that Young improve on the defensive end of the floor, and with his back against the wall, he turned in arguably the best season of his career. Young was so impressive that he spent most of the year as the Lakers’ starting shooting guard.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that his playful side took a backseat. He still maintained his swag, and now that it’s the offseason, Young is taking advantage of the opportunity to have some more fun. He posted pictures of a vacation to Germany to his Instagram account, including a couple of classic ones showing him donning Lederhosen in preparation of a trip to a beer hall:
Young is clearly enjoying his summer, but he does still have a big decision facing him. After a fantastic season, most assume that he will opt out of the final year of his contract, which would pay him just over $5.6 million. He could likely get more money and years on the open market and has mentioned a desire to play for a contending team.
Still, Young is from Los Angeles and fits right in among the stars of Hollywood, so it wouldn’t be easy for him to move to another franchise. While there is no way to know for sure what the offseason will bring, it’s entirely possible that Young has played his last game as a Laker.
