Getty Thaddeus Young guards Julius Randle during a February 3 game against the New York Knicks.
Veteran forward Thaddeus Young has already been dubbed the team’s MVP. Now, he’s gotten a nickname that reflects that of a former league MVP and basketball Hall of Famer.
Inspired by his team-friendly play this season, Young’s Chicago Bulls teammates and fans have nicknamed him “Thagic Johnson,” after five-time NBA champion and Hall of Fame guard Magic Johnson.
It’s circled around so much that it’s officially made it onto his Basketball Reference page:
no way 😭
@adamamin & @Stacey21King forever
Young responded from his Twitter page on Thursday, citing tears of laughter as his reaction:
He may not be playing up to the same level of the 12-time All-Star, but the Bulls’ veteran is definitely playing a team-first approach. Young is averaging 11.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists (career-high), and 1.3 steals nightly.
Some would say he’s been the team’s second-most important player this season, which, after a year and change spent as the subject of trade discussions, is a nice trade-off for the 32-year old.
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