Joe Young (basketball) facts for kids
Young with the Indiana Pacers in 2018
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| No. 27 – Fujian Sturgeons | |
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| Point guard / shooting guard | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | June 27, 1992 Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| High school | Yates (Houston, Texas) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Listed weight | 185 lb (84 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College |
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| NBA Draft | 2015 / Round: 2 / Pick: 43rd overall |
| Selected by the Indiana Pacers | |
| Pro career | 2015–present |
| League | CBA |
| Career history | |
| 2015–2018 | Indiana Pacers |
| 2015–2017 | → Fort Wayne Mad Ants |
| 2018–2020 | Nanjing Monkey Kings |
| 2020–2021 | Beijing Royal Fighters |
| 2021–2022 | Birmingham Squadron |
| 2022–2023 | Promitheas Patras |
| 2023 | Napoli Basket |
| 2023 | Changsha Wantian Yongsheng |
| 2023–2024 | Fujian Sturgeons |
| 2024 | Kuwait SC |
| 2024 | Shahrdari Gorgan |
| 2024–present | Fujian Sturgeons |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Joseph Michael Young (born June 27, 1992) is an American professional basketball player. He currently plays for the Fujian Sturgeons in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). Joe is the son of Michael Young, who was also a professional basketball player.
Joe played college basketball for the Houston Cougars and later the Oregon Ducks. In 2015, he was named the best player in the Pac-12 and earned All-American honors. The Indiana Pacers picked him in the 2015 NBA draft.
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High School Basketball Achievements
Joe Young went to Yates High School in Houston, Texas. In his senior year, he was an amazing player. He averaged 27.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.4 steals, and 3.8 assists per game.
His strong play helped his team, the Yates Lions, have a perfect season. They won all 34 of their games (34–0). They were ranked the number one high school team in the country! Joe was named to the Parade All-America Third-Team. He also won the Texas Gatorade Boys’ Basketball Player of the Year award. Yates won their second straight State Championship, and Joe was named the Most Valuable Player of the state final.
College Basketball Journey
Joe Young started his college career at the University of Houston. His father worked there as the Director of Basketball Operations. In his second year, Joe was a top scorer, averaging 18 points per game. He was also very accurate, shooting 42% from the three-point line and 87% from the free-throw line.
After his father left the Houston program, Joe decided to transfer. He joined the Oregon Ducks to play for coach Dana Altman. In 2015, during his senior year, Joe was named the Pac-12 Conference Player of the Year. He averaged 19.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. He even made two game-winning shots against Arizona State and Washington.
Professional Basketball Career
Playing for the Indiana Pacers (2015–2018)
On June 25, 2015, the Indiana Pacers picked Joe Young as the 43rd player in the 2015 NBA draft. He played very well in the 2015 NBA Summer League, leading all players in scoring with 22.5 points per game. Because of his great performance, he signed a four-year contract with the Pacers.
During his time with the Pacers, Joe also spent some time playing for their minor league team, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, in the NBA Development League. This helped him get more playing time and improve his skills.
Success in China: Nanjing Monkey King (2018–2020)
On August 1, 2018, Joe Young signed a contract to play for the Nanjing Monkey King team in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). In his first game in the CBA, he scored 23 points. On November 15, 2018, Joe had an amazing game where he scored a career-high 51 points!
He continued to play for Nanjing for the 2019–20 season. On July 23, 2020, Joe had an incredible game, scoring 74 points against the Shandong Heroes. This was one of the highest single-game scores in CBA history, and it helped him become the league's top scorer for the season.
Beijing Royal Fighters (2020–2021)
On October 1, 2020, Joe Young joined the Beijing Royal Fighters in the CBA. He played under former NBA All-Star and CBA legend, Stephon Marbury, who was the coach. Joe had a fantastic season before joining Beijing, averaging 38.3 points, 6.4 assists, and 2.3 steals per game for his previous team.
Other Teams (2021–Present)
After playing in China, Joe Young joined the Birmingham Squadron in the NBA G League for the 2021–2022 season.
In 2022, he moved to Europe and signed with Promitheas Patras in Greece. He played well in both the Greek league and the EuroCup. After that, he played for Napoli in Italy in 2023.
Joe later returned to China, playing for the Changsha Wantian Yongsheng and then the Fujian Sturgeons. In 2024, he also played for Kuwait SC and Shahrdari Gorgan before rejoining the Fujian Sturgeons.
Career Statistics
Here are some of Joe Young's statistics from his time in the NBA and college.
NBA Regular Season Stats
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015–16 | Indiana | 41 | 0 | 9.4 | .367 | .217 | .800 | 1.2 | 1.6 | .4 | .0 | 3.8 |
| 2016–17 | Indiana | 33 | 0 | 4.1 | .361 | .217 | .733 | .5 | .5 | .1 | .0 | 2.1 |
| 2017–18 | Indiana | 53 | 1 | 10.5 | .430 | .379 | .759 | 1.2 | .7 | .3 | .0 | 3.9 |
| Career | 127 | 1 | 8.5 | .393 | .296 | .768 | 1.0 | .9 | .3 | .0 | 3.4 | |
NBA Playoff Stats
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Indiana | 4 | 0 | 2.5 | .375 | .250 | 1.000 | .3 | .3 | .0 | .0 | 2.3 |
| 2018 | Indiana | 1 | 0 | 3.0 | – | – | – | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 |
| Career | 5 | 0 | 2.6 | .375 | .250 | 1.000 | .2 | .2 | .0 | .0 | 1.8 | |
College Stats
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011–12 | Houston | 30 | 16 | 30.1 | .416 | .382 | .837 | 3.6 | 2.4 | .9 | .2 | 11.3 |
| 2012–13 | Houston | 32 | 30 | 32.8 | .458 | .420 | .875 | 3.5 | 2.5 | .6 | .0 | 18.0 |
| 2013–14 | Oregon | 34 | 34 | 31.1 | .480 | .415 | .881 | 2.8 | 1.9 | 1.3 | .0 | 18.9 |
| 2014–15 | Oregon | 36 | 35 | 36.7 | .448 | .357 | .925 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 1.1 | .0 | 20.7 |
| Career | 132 | 115 | 32.8 | .453 | .390 | .886 | 3.6 | 2.7 | 1.0 | .0 | 17.5 | |
Personal Life and Community Work
Joe Young's father, Michael Young, is a famous basketball player. He is the third-highest scorer in Houston Cougars history. His jersey number was even retired by the school, which is a huge honor! Joe also has a younger brother named Jacob, who also played college basketball for Oregon.
Joe studied Sociology in college. He is also related to NBA star Paul George; they are fifth cousins.
Helping the Community
Joe Young cares a lot about his hometown of Houston, Texas. In 2019, he showed his generosity by donating 1,000 Thanksgiving Day turkey dinners. These meals went to families in need in the city's Midtown area.
See also
- List of second-generation NBA players
