James Young (basketball) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
James Young

Young with the Boston Celtics in 2017
Free agent
Small forward / shooting guard
Personal information
Born	(1995-08-16) August 16, 1995 (age 29) Flint, Michigan, U.S.
High school	Troy (Troy, Michigan) Rochester (Rochester Hills, Michigan)
Listed height	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight	216 lb (98 kg)
Career information
College	Kentucky (2013–2014)
NBA Draft	2014 / Round: 1 / Pick: 17th overall
Selected by the Boston Celtics
Pro career	2014–present
Career history
2014–2017	Boston Celtics
2014–2016	→Maine Red Claws
2017–2018	Wisconsin Herd
2018	Philadelphia 76ers
2018	→Delaware 87ers
2018–2019	Wisconsin Herd
2019–2020	Maccabi Haifa
2021	Westchester Knicks
2021–2022	Hapoel Tel Aviv
2023	Kolossos Rodou
2023	Treviso Basket
2023–2024	Varese
Career highlights and awards
Israeli Basketball Premier League Top Scorer (2020) Second-team All-SEC (2014) SEC All-Freshman Team (2014) McDonald's All-American (2013) First-team Parade All-American (2013)

James Young (born August 16, 1995) is an American professional basketball player. He last played for Varese in Italy's top basketball league. Before turning pro, he played one season of college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats.

Young was chosen by the Boston Celtics as the 17th pick in the 2014 NBA draft. During his first year in the NBA, he spent most of his time playing for the Celtics' minor league team, the Maine Red Claws. In the 2019–20 season, he was the top scorer in the Israeli Basketball Premier League. He averaged 20.5 points per game that season.

High School Basketball Days

Young slashes for a layup in the 2013 McDonald's All-American Boys Game

James Young went to two different high schools in Michigan. These were Troy High School and Rochester High School.

During his junior year at Troy (2011–12), Young was a star player. He averaged 25.1 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. He also had 4.5 assists and 2.5 steals per game. His great play earned him first-team All-State honors.

In October 2012, Young decided to play college basketball for the University of Kentucky. In his senior year at Rochester (2012–13), he continued to excel. He averaged 27.2 points, 16.0 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game. He was even named a McDonald's All-American, a big honor for high school players.

ESPN.com, a major sports network, rated Young very highly. They considered him a five-star recruit. He was listed as the third-best small forward in the nation. He was also ranked as the eighth-best player overall in 2013.

College Basketball Career

Young played as a freshman for the Kentucky Wildcats in the 2013–14 season. He made 82 three-pointers that season. This was the second-highest number of three-pointers ever made by a freshman at Kentucky.

He was named the SEC Freshman of the Week twice. He also earned second-team All-SEC honors. He was part of the SEC All-Freshman team. Young was also named to the Final Four NCAA All-Tournament team.

In 40 games, he started 39 of them. He averaged 14.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game. Early in the season, he scored a career-high 26 points. He also made five three-pointers in a big win against UT Arlington.

On April 17, 2014, Young decided to enter the NBA draft. This meant he gave up his last three years of college eligibility.

Starting His Professional Career

Boston Celtics (2014–2017)

Young with the Celtics in 2014

The Boston Celtics picked James Young as the 17th overall choice in the 2014 NBA draft. This happened on June 26, 2014. He signed his first contract with the Celtics on July 10, 2014.

Young faced some challenges early on. Injuries made him miss summer league and parts of training camp. Because of this, he often played for the Maine Red Claws. This team was the Celtics' minor league affiliate. Playing in the minor league helped him get more playing time.

He played 19 games for the Red Claws in his first year. He averaged 20.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.0 assists. He also had 1.4 steals per game. Young finally got a chance to show his skills with the Celtics on January 5, 2015. He scored a season-high 13 points in a game against the Charlotte Hornets.

In his second season (2015–16), Young joined the Celtics for the NBA Summer League. He averaged 9.4 points and 3.4 rebounds. The Celtics decided to keep him for the 2016–17 season. In November 2016, he scored a season-high 12 points in a win against the Indiana Pacers. He played in 29 games for the Celtics that season.

Moving to Other Teams (2017–2019)

After leaving the Celtics, Young became a free agent in July 2017. He joined the New Orleans Pelicans for the 2017 NBA Summer League. Later, he signed with the Milwaukee Bucks for training camp. However, he was waived by the Bucks in October 2017.

On October 22, 2017, Young joined the Wisconsin Herd. This team is part of the NBA G League. He earned a spot on their opening-night roster.

In January 2018, Young signed a special contract with the Philadelphia 76ers. This "two-way contract" meant he would split his time. He played for both the 76ers and their G League team, the Delaware 87ers. He was waived by the 76ers in March 2018. Young then rejoined the Wisconsin Herd in October 2018. He played for them until January 2019.

Playing Overseas (2019–Present)

On August 8, 2019, Young signed a one-year deal with Maccabi Haifa. This team plays in the Israeli Basketball Premier League. On November 14, 2019, Young had a career-high 32 points in a game. He also had five rebounds and three assists.

In December 2019, he tied his career-high with another 32 points. He shot very well from three-point range. He also grabbed eight rebounds and made three steals. He averaged 20.3 points per game for the team. In the 2019–20 season, he was the top scorer in the entire Israeli Basketball Premier League.

In December 2020, Young signed with the New York Knicks. He was later assigned to their G League team, the Westchester Knicks. In March 2021, he signed with Hapoel Tel Aviv, another team in the Israeli Basketball Premier League.

In January 2023, Young moved to Greece. He signed with the Greek club Kolossos Rodou. He averaged 9.1 points and 3.3 rebounds in 10 games. In July 2023, he signed with Treviso Basket in Italy. He then played for Varese in Italy from 2023 to 2024.

Career Statistics

NBA

Regular season

Playoffs

College

See also

In Spanish: James Young (baloncestista) para niños