James Young (born August 16, 1995) is an American professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player for Kolossos Rodou of the

Greek Basket League The Greek Basket League (GBL), often also referred to as the Greek A1 Basketball League, or Greek Basketball Championship (originally called Panhellenic Basketball Championship), and also known as the Stoiximan Basket League for sponsorship reaso ...

. He played one season of

college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...

for the

Kentucky Wildcats The Kentucky Wildcats are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic squads of the University of Kentucky (UK), a founding member of the Southeastern Conference. The Kentucky Wildcats is the student body of the University of Kentucky. 30,473 ...

before being selected with the 17th overall pick in the

2014 NBA draft The 2014 NBA draft was held on June 26, 2014, at the Barclays Center, Brooklyn National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players. ...

by the

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...

. He spent the majority of his rookie NBA season playing in the NBA Development League for the Celtics' affiliate team, the

Maine Red Claws The Maine Celtics (formerly the Maine Red Claws) are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Portland, Maine, and are affiliated with the Boston Celtics. The Maine Celtics play their home games at the Portland Expo B ...

. In 2019-20 he was the top scorer in the Israel Basketball Premier League, with an average of 20.5 points per game.

High school career

20130403 MCDAAG James Young slashing layup (3)

Young attended both Troy High School in

Troy, Michigan Troy is a city in Oakland County, Michigan, United States. Its population was 87,294 at the 2020 U.S. census, making Troy the most populous city in the county and the 13th most-populous municipality in the state. Troy is a northern suburb of Me ...

, and Rochester High School in

Rochester Hills, Michigan Rochester Hills is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 76,300. It is the 14th-largest city in Michigan. The area was first occupied by settlers of European descent in 1 ...

. As a junior at Troy in 2011–12, Young averaged 25.1 points, 10.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.5 steals per game, earning first-team All-State honors from the Associated Press, Detroit News and Detroit Free Press. On October 11, 2012, Young signed a

letter of intent A letter of intent (LOI or LoI, or Letter of Intent) is a document outlining the understanding between two or more parties which they intend to formalize in a contract, legally binding agreement. The concept is similar to a Heads of agreement ( ...

to play college basketball for the

University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a Public University, public Land-grant University, land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentu ...

. As a senior at Rochester in 2012–13, Young averaged 27.2 points, 16.0 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game, going on to earn McDonald's All-American honors. Considered a five-star recruit by

ESPN.com ESPN.com is the official website of ESPN. It is owned by ESPN Internet Ventures, a division of ESPN Inc. History Since launching in April 1995 as ESPNET.SportsZone.com (ESPNET SportsZone), the website has developed numerous sections including: ...

, Young was listed as the No. 3 small forward and the No. 8 player in the nation in 2013.

College career

As a freshman at

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

in 2013–14, Young finished second in UK single-season freshman history with 82 made three-pointers on the season. He was named SEC Freshman of the Week two times, earned second-team All-SEC honors, SEC All-Freshman team honors, and was named to the Final Four NCAA All-Tournament team. In 40 games (39 starts), he averaged 14.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 32.4 minutes per game. Early in the season, on November 19, he scored a career-high 26 points and hit five three-pointers in a 105–76 win over

UT Arlington The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA or UT Arlington) is a public research university in Arlington, Texas. The university was founded in 1895 and was in the Texas A&M University System for several decades until joining the University of Te ...

. On April 17, 2014, Young declared for the NBA draft, forgoing his final three years of college eligibility.

Professional career

Boston Celtics (2014–2017)

2014–15 season

On June 26, 2014, Young was selected with the 17th overall pick in the

by the

. On July 10, 2014, he signed his rookie scale contract with the Celtics. Injuries forced Young to miss the summer league, most of training camp and part of the early season. Because of these setbacks, Young spent much of the season driving back and forth between Boston and Maine, playing for the Red Claws in order to receive consistent playing time. He had 11

D-League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development League (NBDL) from 2001 to 2005, and the NBA De ...

assignments in total during his rookie season. Playing in the D-League was something Young was originally against, but grew to love in time, even urging the Celtics to send him to Maine during the month of December. Young finally got an opportunity to shine for the Celtics on January 5, 2015, scoring a season-high 13 points in a loss to the

Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division, and pla ...

. In light of this performance, Young had a solid run of playing time in

Brad Stevens Bradley Kent Stevens (born October 22, 1976) is an American basketball executive and former coach who is currently the president of basketball operations for the Boston Celtics. Born and raised in Zionsville, Indiana, Stevens starred on the Zio ...

' rotation, averaging 3.8 points in 12.9 minutes per game between January 5 and March 6. However, following that string of opportunities, Young managed just four more appearances to close out the regular season, and failed to appear in any of the Celtics' four playoff games against the

Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...

. In 19 games for the Red Claws in 2014–15, Young averaged 20.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.4 steals per game.

2015–16 season

In July 2015, Young joined the Celtics for the

2015 NBA Summer League The 2015 NBA Summer League consisted of three pro basketball leagues organized by the NBA: the Orlando Pro Summer League, Utah Jazz Summer League, and Las Vegas Summer League. Ten teams participated in the week-long Orlando Pro Summer League a ...

, where he averaged 9.4 points and 3.4 rebounds in five games. His performance was considered underwhelming, as he shot just 27.1% from the field and 22.7% from three-point range. He subsequently played the fewest preseason minutes of anyone who made the final 2015–16 opening night roster. Despite this, on October 30, the Celtics exercised their third-year team option on Young's rookie scale contract, extending the contract through the 2016–17 season. His early 2015–16 season opportunities mirrored his rookie season, as he spent five days with the Red Claws between November 3 and 9 on two different assignments before finally making his season debut for the Celtics on November 10, playing in the final 49 seconds of the team's 99–83 win over the

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 1968 ...

. He received three more assignments to Maine following this. After playing in three games for the Celtics between November 24 and December 3, he almost got on a plane from San Antonio to Maine on December 4, but was informed not to minutes before boarding; the Celtics needed Young as insurance because of a quad injury to

Avery Bradley Avery Antonio Bradley Jr. (born November 26, 1990) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Texas Longhorns before ...

. Young ultimately did not play for the Celtics against the Spurs on December 5. He went on to appear in seven of the team's next eight games, averaging 14.3 minutes per game over that stretch. Young received seven more assignments to the Red Claws in 2016 and appeared in three of the Celtics' six playoff games against the

Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast Division (NBA), Sou ...

. In 16 games for the Red Claws in 2015–16, Young averaged 14.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.0 steals per game.

2016–17 season

In July 2016, Young re-joined the Celtics for the

2016 NBA Summer League The 2016 NBA Summer League consisted of three pro basketball leagues organized by the National Basketball Association (NBA): the Orlando Pro Summer League, Utah Jazz Summer League, and Las Vegas Summer League. Ten teams participated in the week ...

, where he averaged 7.5 points and 2.8 rebounds in six games. On October 24, 2016, Young was retained by the Celtics for the 2016–17 season. On November 12, 2016, in the Celtics' ninth game of the season, Young scored a season-high 12 points in a 105–99 win over the

Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first esta ...

. Young went unassigned in 2016–17 but only managed 29 games during the regular season.

2017 off-season

In July 2017, Young became a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

and joined the

New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division and play their hom ...

for the

2017 NBA Summer League The 2017 NBA Summer League consisted of three pro basketball leagues organized by the National Basketball Association (NBA): the Orlando Pro Summer League, Utah Jazz Summer League, and Las Vegas Summer League. Eight teams participated in the wee ...

. On September 6, 2017, he signed a training camp contract with the

. He was waived by the Bucks on October 5, 2017.

Wisconsin Herd (2017–2018)

On October 22, 2017, Young was named in the inaugural

Wisconsin Herd The Wisconsin Herd are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and are affiliated with the Milwaukee Bucks. The Herd play their home games at Oshkosh Arena. History On June 29, 2016, it was anno ...

training camp roster. He went on to earn a spot in the team's opening-night roster.

Philadelphia 76ers (2018)

On January 5, 2018, Young was signed to a

two-way contract A two-way contract is a professional sports contract that stipulates that an athlete's salary is dependent upon the league in which the athlete is assigned to play. This is opposed to a one-way contract that would pay the same salary regardless of ...

by the

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...

. Under the terms of the deal, Young split his playing time for the year between the 76ers and their G League affiliate, the

Delaware 87ers Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...

. On March 26, 2018, Young was waived by the 76ers.

Second stint with Wisconsin Herd (2018–2019)

In October 2018, Young re-joined the

. On January 18, 2019, he was waived by the Herd.

Maccabi Haifa (2019–2020)

On August 8, 2019, Young signed a one-year deal with

Maccabi Haifa Maccabi Haifa ( he, מכבי חיפה) is one of the biggest sports clubs in Israel and a part of the Maccabi association. It runs several sports clubs and teams in Haifa which have competed in a variety of sports over the years, such as Football ...

of the

Israeli Premier League The Israeli Premier League ( he, ליגת העל, ''Ligat Ha`Al'', ), is a professional association football league which operates as the highest division of the Israeli Football League – the state's league of Israel. The league is contested b ...

. On November 14, 2019, Young recorded a career-high 32 points, shooting 9-of-17 from the field, along with five rebounds and three assists, leading Haifa to a 95–83 win over

Hapoel Gilboa Galil Hapoel Gilboa Galil ( he, הפועל גלבוע גליל) is a professional basketball club that is based in north-east Israel. The club plays its home game in the Israeli Basketball Premier League (the top tier of Israeli basketball) in a 2,250 ...

. On December 22, 2019, Young tied his career-high 32 points, while shooting 7-of-11 from three-point range, along with eight rebounds and three steals in a 92–60 blowout win over

Hapoel Holon Hapoel Holon Basketball Club ( he, מועדון הכדורסל הפועל חולון), known for sponsorship reasons as Hapoel Atsmon Playgrounds Holon (), is a professional basketball club based in Holon, Israel. The team plays in the Israeli B ...

. He averaged 20.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.4 steals per game for the team. In 2019-20 he was the top scorer in the Israel Basketball Premier League, with an average of 20.5 points per game. ��

Westchester Knicks (2020–2021)

On December 14, 2020, Young was signed by the New York Knicks. He was waived before the start of the season and assigned to the Knicks' G League affiliate, the Westchester Knicks.

Hapoel Tel Aviv (2021–2022)

On March 8, 2021, he signed with Hapoel Tel Aviv B.C., Hapoel Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Premier League.

Kolossos Rodou (2023–present)

On January 12, 2023, Young signed with Greek club Kolossos Rodou for the rest of the season.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, 31 , , 0 , , 10.7 , , .353 , , .258 , , .552 , , 1.4 , , .4 , , .3 , , .1 , , 3.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 29 , , 0 , , 6.9 , , .306 , , .231 , , .250 , , .9 , , .3 , , .2 , , .0 , , 1.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 29 , , 0 , , 7.6 , , .431 , , .343 , , .667 , , .9 , , .1 , , .3 , , .1 , , 2.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, 6 , , 0 , , 10.2 , , .357 , , .300 , , .667 , , .3 , , .3 , , .0 , , .0 , , 2.8 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 95 , , 0 , , 8.5 , , .367 , , .277 , , .563 , , 1.0 , , .3 , , .3 , , .1 , , 2.3

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;",

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 3 , , 0 , , 3.5 , , .333 , , .000 , , , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .7 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 10 , , 0 , , 3.9 , , .333 , , .357 , , , , .7 , , .3 , , .0 , , .0 , , 1.5 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 13 , , 0 , , 3.8 , , .333 , , .333 , , , , .5 , , .2 , , .0 , , .0 , , 1.3

College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2013–14 , style="text-align:left;",

, 40 , , 39 , , 32.4 , , .407 , , .349 , , .706 , , 4.3 , , 1.7 , , .8 , , .2 , , 14.3

References

External links

Kentucky Wildcats bio

NBA G League profile

The Wait For James Young Continues
{{DEFAULTSORT:Young, James 1995 births Living people African-American basketball players American expatriate basketball people in Greece American expatriate basketball people in Israel American men's basketball players Basketball players from Flint, Michigan Boston Celtics draft picks Boston Celtics players Delaware 87ers players Hapoel Tel Aviv B.C. players Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball players Kolossos Rodou B.C. players Maccabi Haifa B.C. players Maine Red Claws players McDonald's High School All-Americans Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Philadelphia 76ers players Shooting guards Small forwards Westchester Knicks players Wisconsin Herd players 21st-century African-American sportspeople