Former Maryland men’s basketball star Jahmir Young made his NBA debut with the Chicago Bulls on March 4 in a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, recording one rebound and one assist in two minutes off the bench.
Young signed a two-way contract with the Bulls in February. He has averaged 20.6 points and 6.1 assists in 10 games with the G League Windy City Bulls since joining the organization. Young was ready for his first NBA game and will learn from the experience going forward.
“It’s just more motivation,” Young said of his NBA debut on Glenn Clark Radio March 13. “It’s exciting, just my story and my journey leading up to this point. Just being able to see my family proud of me as well, it just means a lot from where I’ve been and the growth that I’ve made. For me, it’s just more motivation to try and check off that next check mark.”
Young is listed at 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, meaning he has had to deal with concerns about whether he was too small to make it to the NBA.
“Early on just doubting myself, just going through those stages, it’s tough,” Young said. “For me, I love the game. Deep down, I’ve always had confidence in myself and I thought that God’s going to make a way for me. It might not be on my timing, but I have to be patient and wait on my turn. For me, it’s just believing in God and believing in the work I put in.”
While playing in his first game was exciting and something he’ll remember, the game didn’t go exactly how Young wanted because of the loss. That’s something else he’ll use as inspiration to become a better player.
“I definitely remember which shoes I had on, who we were playing, the time that I got in,” Young said about playing in his first NBA game. “It’s something I’ll never forget. Still just use it as motivation.”
Young signed as an undrafted free agent with the Denver Nuggets last summer and played for the G League Grand Rapids Gold before signing with the Bulls.
“It felt good just knowing that somebody sees what I’m doing,” Young said. “When I was in Grand Rapids, we played Windy City a couple times, so I’m familiar with those guys. It was more just me just knowing the work was working and just knowing that whatever I’m doing, I need to keep doing and the work is going to pay off.”
Former Maryland stars Kevin Huerter and Jalen “Stix” Smith also play for the Bulls. Young looks up to the two and keeps in touch with them. Young played in the same AAU program (Team Takeover) as Smith.
“Stix and I go way back about 16, 17 years. It was good to see Stix again. I’ve seen him working out at Maryland. We also have the same trainer with Darren McLinton. I see him often in the gym,” Young said. “Huerter, we had runs in College Park last summer. It was good to see those guys again. The Bulls, they must have a thing for Terps now.”
Young is fired up for Maryland’s forthcoming appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The fourth-seeded Terps will face Grand Canyon on March 21. Young is especially excited about former teammate Juju Reese, who is averaging 13.1 points and 9.0 rebounds per game as a senior.
Young played with Reese from 2022-2024, averaging 18.0 points and 3.6 assists during that time.
“For Juju, just seeing his growth and development over the years, playing for multiple coaches, for him to be able to stay grounded, stay motivated and now him being the leader of this really good Terps team, it means a lot,” Young said. “It shows a lot about him and who he is as a person.”
For more from Young, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Kenya Allen/PressBox