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Come Fan with UsThursday, July 2, 2026

Nick Young finally explains “Swaggy P” nickname, says God gave it to him

When God gives you a nickname, you have to decide whether it’s a funny nickname, and then you keep it.

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

We all know that Nick Young is Swaggy P -- perhaps he is better known as “Swaggy P” than he is as “Nick Young” at this point -- and now, thanks to an Instagram post, we finally have an official, Swaggy-sanctioned story of how he became Swaggy P.

“God, in a dream, talked to me, and he gave me that name. I’m like, ‘you know what God? That is a funny name! I might need to run with it!’ And ever since then, I’ve been calling myself Swaggy P. It’s a household name.”

Of course, Swaggy P has given other versions of his creation story.

On NBA GameTime:

On where the nickname "Swaggy P" came from: "I think if you look good, you play good. So you know, the 'Swaggy' starts with how I come in the arena - how I dress, the shoes I wear. The 'P' is a mystery. I can't tell you that right now. I might write a book someday."

In Slam:

Young will only say that “Swaggy” became his moniker as a result of his friends, who showered him with compliments about his indelible swag. Naturally, he adapted it to become “Swaggy,” which was more becoming of his lifestyle. As for the P?

“The P is a mystery. I can’t give that secret out yet,” Young says. “It was one of my first nicknames, so nobody really knew about it and I just kept it a secret. People kept asking about it, so I started saying it’s a mystery. In a couple years I’ll give y’all something.”

But now we know the secret: God gave Nick Young the nickname, and he accepted it.

Nick Young’s journey to the NBA

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