How Are Kendrick Lamar and Ex-NBA Star Nick Young Related?

Famous family pairings are not uncommon in the league. From 5x NBA champion Tim Duncan and his 14x Emmy Award-winning cinematographer brother, Scott Duncan, to Kevin Love and his uncle, Mike Love, who used to perform for the Beach Boys. While most pro players usually hail from families with athletic backgrounds, there are also relatives of popular basketball players who have succeeded in areas other than sports, like the ones we mentioned. Similarly, former NBA guard Nick Young also has a talented cousin: Kendrick Lamar.

But how are they related? Are Young and Lamar on good terms? Here is what we know about the former NBA and his famous cousin.

Kendrick Lamar used to join Nick Young during games

Kick-starting this year, Lamar quickly became the talk of the town because of his infamous beef with fellow Grammy-winning rapper Drake. Amidst all this, a surprising fact came to light; that he is related to the former Lakers and Warriors guard, Nick Young. In an interview with Sloane Knows! podcast, the NBA player shared that he grew up with Lamar. 

“Kendrick is on my dad’s side… I grew up with Kendrick. I wasn’t going to Compton like that,” Nick said. Lamar is Young’s cousin from his father’s sister’s side. Well, while this is quite complicated, Young shared that the two used to play basketball together when they were young. 

“When we grew up, he played with us a little bit. But he was always shorter. Kendrick was small,” the former Golden State Warriors player said. The 2018 NBA Champ was born in 1985 and lived in Reseda. Young recalled that his mother didn’t let them go to Compton where Lamar, who was two years younger than the ex-NBA star, lived. So Lamar would often come down to his place whenever they wanted to hang out and play. He also added that his cousin used to join him for the games often. 

“It was more in high school when we was all going to like different games and all that he would be in the car with us riding, going to games,” Young said in an interview with DJ Vlad.

Swaggy P didn’t stay in touch with Kendrick Lamar

As Young joined the pro league, the two lost contact. The next time Swaggy P heard about Lamar was when the latter became a big name in the music industry. When Young was playing in the NBA, his cousin was also honing his rap skills. While he was surprised to see his cousin, Young couldn’t be prouder. 

“I got to the league I didn’t see him for a while and next thing you know he just popped up being Kendrick Lamar, one of the best rappers so I’m like oh that’s damn,” Young explained. In the same interview, the NBA champ shared that he wasn’t impressed by how Lamar released an album to diss Drake. Speaking to the host, Young shared that the famed rapper helped his cousin during the early years of his success. Kendrick is not Young’s only famous cousin, though.

Swaggy P is also related to 23-year-old rapper, Baby Keem, who is his cousin on his mother’s side. However, unlike his bond with Lamar, Young never met Keem. Another of his close relatives is Warriors center Kevon Looney. Looney is Young’s first cousin. Young joined the Golden State Warriors for the 2017-18 season. While he remained in the team for one season, he was able to pair with Looney. And most importantly, he was able to win his only championship.