During his 11-year NBA career, Nick Young played alongside some of the league’s top guards—Kobe Bryant, Gilbert Arenas, Chris Paul, and John Wall. But while he was dazzling crowds and dominating on the court, there were moments behind the scenes that weren’t so smooth. Now, six years post-retirement from the NBA, Swaggy P is finally opening up about those times, sharing his true feelings on what it was like to play with some of the game’s greatest.

Young appeared on the Above the Rim podcast with Dwight Howard, where he dove into stories from his playing days. The conversation took an interesting turn when Howard asked about his experiences with demanding players like Kobe Bryant. When asked how it was to play alongside those who expected relentless intensity, Young didn’t hold back. “That’s one thing I hated,” he admitted, explaining that his carefree, smiling attitude often clashed with the serious demeanor of his teammates. “I smile and have fun. I don’t think they took me seriously, and yeah, I hated that.”

For Young, being himself on and off the court was crucial. He believes that basketball shouldn’t always be about constant pressure. “As soon as I go in the gym, I do my thing; I should be able to be me,” he revealed on the podcast. He noted that today’s players have more freedom to express themselves, whether it’s through their fashion choices or how they carry themselves on social media.

“They’re wearing fingernail polish, doing everything they want, and it’s cool. Instagram, yeah, come on, man. But it’s just the times we live in.” Swaggy P previously shared stories about his time playing with Chris Paul, describing how Paul’s competitiveness often stifled the fun of the game.

“I hated when I played with Chris Paul,” he recalled. “He would pass it to you at the last minute… never wanted that turnover or to take that last shot. He’d be like dribble, dribble, dribble, and then pass it to you with one or two seconds on the clock.” And it wasn’t just Paul’s on-court antics that irked Young but also his trash talk, even with teammates. “He said something to me like, ‘Remember, I’m the key to your next contract,’ and stuff like that.” And what about the Black Mamba?

Kobe Bryant tested Nick Young’s limits

It all started when Kobe Bryant explained his “Mamba Mentality” to a group of young athletes, describing it as “a constant quest to try to be better today than you were yesterday.” Nick Young, who had the chance to experience it firsthand, will definitely never forgot.

Back between 2013 and 2016, Young and Bryant were Lakers teammates. It wasn’t the best time for the team—they were struggling, and wins were scarce. But Kobe’s drive never faltered, as he demanded nothing less than full effort from everyone, no matter what. Young, dealing with a hand injury, became a target of Bryant’s relentless approach. “He didn’t believe I was hurt or something,” Swaggy P recalled, explaining how Bryant thought he was just trying to dodge practice.

Consequently, practice turned into a grueling test for Young. Kobe, determined to prove his point, started throwing passes with extra force, pushing Young to catch the ball with his injured hand. “The whole practice, he was throwing me the ball extra hard… I was catching it with one hand like, c’mon man, damn, I told you my thumb hurt,” Young shared, reliving the frustration of that day.

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It took the team’s trainer stepping in to confirm Swaggy P’s injury—a broken thumb—for Kobe to back off. He later apologized, acknowledging he might’ve gone too far.