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

Video: Kobe Misses Three, Tackles Guy, Dribbles Around, Then Dunks

Kobe is known for making some of the most amazing plays in…

Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki Reminisce On Mavs Days On ‘The Finish Line’

http://youtu.be/VePNq-V_wxk Veteran point guard Steve Nash continued to battle through injuries as…

Stan Van Gundy Calls Phil Jackson’s Comments ‘Ignorant” & the Top News Around the NBA

Top Story Despite reeling in the best free-agent crop in NBA history,…

Lakers News: D’Angelo Russell Believes Home Crowd Will Help In Game 3 Against Nuggets

Despite a bounce-back performance from D’Angelo Russell in Game 2, the Los Angeles Lakers found a way to drop the ball in Game 2…