Charles Tiu made a recruiting coup when he tapped former National Basketball Association standout Nick Young as import for the Strong Group Realty in the 32nd Dubai International Basketball Championship next month.
Tiu, who will handle the team that will replace Mighty Sports as the country’s representative in the prestigious tourney, said Young agreed to compete for the Philippines and they are looking forward to see his flashy and entertaining brand of game.
Known as ‘Swaggy P,’ Young treated fans to a spectacular display of basketball prowess when he helped Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors win the NBA title in 2018.
In his 12 years in the NBA, Young averaged 11.4 points, two rebounds and one assist while donning the jerseys of the Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets.
Tiu said they can’t wait to see him play.
“Deal took place before Christmas actually. He will arrive in the Philippines in the second week of January,” Tiu said.
“We reached out to him and we spoke on the phone for quite some time. He was interested because he wants to show that he can still compete at a high level.”
Tiu added that Filipino fans will definitely fall in love with Young, prompting them to cheer for the team when it competes in one of the biggest invitational basketball tournaments in the Middle East.
“We are excited to have him here. We all know what he can do offensively, and he’s a fun character so I think the Filipino fans will love him,” Tiu said
“We are slowly forming our team but we will slowly announce it.”
