James Young, coming out of Kentucky, was in a car crash that caused him to miss several pre-draft workouts.
Possibly as a result, he slid to No. 17, where the Celtics drafted him.
Young also missed summer league, not necessarily a career-altering setback but a concern nonetheless. Whenever a player injures himself away from the court and hasn’t returned, the uncertainty of the situation leaves the public in the dark – and sometimes fearing the worst. It didn’t help that Young, at the time of the crash, wasn’t with a team that could disseminate any information and alleviate fears.
But Young recently cleared up his status.
Young, as transcribed by Kyle Tucker of The Courier-Journal:
On what happened in his accident: “It was just the car in front of me stopped so fast and I just didn’t react fast enough and just rear-ended them. It was in L.A.”
On missing the summer league: “It was tough for me, because I had a concussion. I got a chance to meet with some of the guys and stuff like that. Great team, great facility, and the coaching is really great. So I had a chance to just walk around and talk to some of the guys about their past experiences and stuff like that. They’re a bunch of great guys.”
On whether he’s good to go health-wise now: “Yeah, I just got cleared a few days ago, so I’m good now.”
On having a car accident right before the draft being scary: “It definitely was, because it shows how fast things can change. It really opened my eyes about things and I’m very blessed that I’m here and I get to still play.”
The Celtics were among the draft’s winners, because they nabbed Young and Marcus Smart. For now, both players will be competing for minutes in a backcourt that also includes Rajon Rondo, Avery Bradley and Marcus Thornton. But some day – with Young healthy – he and Smart might their become own set of starting guards.
