Nick Young has two "shoe keepers" for his 500-pair sneaker collection
Nick "Swaggy P" Young is one of the most entertaining characters in the NBA. Sports Illustrated's Lee Jenkins delved into what exactly makes the mercurial Lakers star tick in this week's magazine, and it's certainly worth a read.
Jenkins' deep dive gives plenty of insight into how Young manufactured the "Swaggy P" persona, and it includes some awesome gems, including this anecdote about Young's shoe collection:
"The property, tucked behind a gate in the San Fernando Valley neigborhood of Tarzana, comes with a detached building that Young is converting into a 'shoe house.' He employs not one but two "shoe keepers," who oversee his 500-plus pairs of sneakers, a collection that includes Vans fitted with roller-skating wheels."
The threshold for what someone would have to tell you about Swaggy P for you not to believe it is incredibly high. But that doesn't make the fact that Young essentially has two butlers whose jobs are devoted to his shoes less amazing. It really just begs more questions. Do these "shoe keepers" work full-time? Are they old and British? How much money does it cost to have your 500-pair sneaker collection professionally maintained?
Young certainly takes his kicks seriously. He's been known to change shoes during games if he misses a couple shots. Near the end of Jenkins' story, we also learn how Young decides shoes for certain opponents.
Amazingly, the "shoe keepers" are just a tiny part of the Swaggy P experience. You can read the full story here.
- Rohan Nadkarni
