The Los Angeles Lakers are coming off of one of their worst seasons in franchise history. A 27-55 record, repeated injuries to Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol's departure in free agency this summer has made it a tough year for Lakers fans.
Going into this season, L.A. wanted to focus on having Bryant and Steve Nash healthy while incorporating their new roster additions. But one of those additions, point guard Jeremy Lin, is already calling out a teammate.
Lin has said that he will not call Nick Young by his self-applied nickname "Swaggy P" until he "earns it."
"He's super-cool," Lin said to reporters last week. "But I just find it ridiculous that everyone comes in and just calls him 'Swaggy.' You've got to earn it or something, and maybe he has but I just got here, so maybe I'll adopt [it] eventually."
Naturally, a media member asked Lin what Young must do to earn his nickname.
"It has to be something that I see," Lin said. "That when I look at him he just glows with Swaggy-ness."
Maybe realizing that a player controversy is the last thing the Lakers need right now, Lin quickly offered some smoothing answers.
"He's hilarious. He's hilarious. He's really cool," Lin said of Young. "So just out of respect for him being eight years in, if he wants me to call him Swaggy P, I guess I will. But besides that I'll call him Nick Young."
Cat's out of the bag now, Lin. You can't take it back. This story will undoubtedly swell into a national controversy, dividing the locker room and undermining the coaches. The Lakers will fail to win a single game this season, and it is all because Lin had the audacity to second-guess the swag levels of Nick Young.
Bryant is not going to be happy with you, Lin.