Getty Image
Nick Young AKA “Swaggy P” is quite the character. The former NBA player has long-been a guy who spoke his mind and didn’t apologize for doing so, which has usually led to some pretty damn good stories over the years. And one of the better ones involves former Washington Wizards teammate Gilbert Arenas, a pair of $1,200 sunglasses and Arenas’ genitals.
Arenas, who, in his own right, was one crazy motherfucker during his playing days, is best-known for two things while in the NBA:
- Being a lethal scorer who happily padded his own stats in order to get that money/recognition
- Pulling a gun on a former teammate in the locker room over a card game, which ended up getting Gil suspended indefinitely by the league, as well as getting two years’ probation and 30 days in a halfway house
While Nick Young has been known to be a little bit out there, suggesting Arenas even outdid him would be pretty damn accurate. And because Young first came into the league as a rookie with the Wizards under the guidance of Arenas, it’s safe to say he learned under the master of crazy — and this whole sunglasses story only proved it.
Nick Young found out Gilbert Arenas was crazy soon after he was drafted by the Wizards: "I come into the practice facility — I got my shades (which cost $1,000) on — Gil just out of nowhere take my glasses and rub his balls (on them) and then breaks them … he crazy." 🤣
— Drew Shiller (@DrewShiller) March 31, 2020
According to Young, one of the first things he bought himself after getting that NBA coin was a pair of $1,200 sunglasses. That might seem a little excessive to you and I, but, hey, the dude is flashy — remember, his nickname’s “Swaggy P” for a reason. When walking into the locker room, Gilbert Arenas saw the shades, felt it necessary to steal the shades from Young, break them, and then, yep, rub them on his balls. Nothing like a little rookie hazing, right? Here’s how Young tells it.
Per Grailed:
When you turned pro and you were making NBA money, what was the first big piece you copped for yourself? Your first splurge?
Even in college I used to save up and buy some jeans that cost like $1000. I didn’t have no money, but I just wanted them, spending my entire allowance. I remember the first time I bought some nice glasses. I wasn’t in on accessories and stuff, but I bought some glasses for like $1200 and [Gilbert Arenas] broke them the same day. It was rookie hazing.
This was when you got drafted by the Wizards, right?
Yeah. I was so mad. I was so hot. Gil just wiped his balls on ‘em and snapped ‘em in half [laughs].
That’s savage.
We go back and forth. He would do something like that, but then pay me back.
That’s still a dickhead move.
Aw, yeah, he’s crazy.
It’s nice to see Nick Young can be all cool about this now, but, damn, in the moment he had to be pissed AF with Gilbert Arenas. It’s one thing to punk out a rookie, it’s another to totally disrespect him and rub it in his face. Luckily, Arenas was quick to apologize by buying a new pair of shades for Young.
If ever there was a match made in (crazy athletes) heaven, it was Young and Arenas. So let’s all be grateful that these two had a few seasons of playing together so we can relive some of the weird stories that happened while both were members of the Wizards.