Confused Nick Young

Sometimes the most perfect expressions of confusion come from the most unexpected moments. The "Confused Nick Young" meme transformed a fleeting look of bewilderment into the internet's go-to visual for befuddlement, proving that authentic reactions often make the most powerful cultural symbols.

The source material originated from "Thru The Lens," a web series created by photographer Cassy Athena that followed athletes and celebrities through their daily lives. On July 22, 2014, Athena uploaded an episode featuring NBA basketball player Nick Young, documenting a typical day with Young and his assistant, Big Meat, as they navigated life in Los Angeles (Know Your Meme, 2015).

The meme-worthy moment occurred when Young's mother was interviewed about his childhood personality. She described him as the neighborhood prankster who kept everyone worried that they'd be his next target. She recounted how young Nick would walk into a gym where Lakers player Cedric Ceballos was working out, grab the ball, put on an impromptu basketball performance that mainly involved acting crazy, hand the ball back, and leave. She said Ceballos remarked that if that kid ever took the game seriously, he'd be great. But, she added, "he was a clown then" (Meming Wiki, 2025).

When she refers to Young as a clown, he tilts his head in confusion. This is where Confused Nick Young gets its inspiration from (Meming Wiki, 2025). Young makes a perplexed facial expression when his mother claims he was "a clown" in his younger years, creating the source image that would become internet gold.

A screen capture of the scene was subsequently circulated online, enhanced with question marks positioned on either side of Young's head to emphasize the confused expression (Know Your Meme, 2015). Although it's unclear who originally posted it, a screen grab of Young's perplexed look with three question marks hovering to the left and right of his face subsequently made the rounds online (Daily Dot, 2024).

The meme gained significant traction on July 13, 2015, when the @WorldStarFunny Twitter account posted a photoshopped version of Young wearing a sombrero with the caption "Que?" along with a joke about being unable to sneak out of a house. Within two years, the tweet gained over 4,000 likes and 1,900 retweets (Know Your Meme, 2015).

The meme's mainstream breakthrough came on January 15, 2016, when actor Lamorne Morris posted a video on Instagram of Young being presented with the Confused Nick Young image during a basketball game between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Los Angeles Lakers. Within 24 hours, the video gained over 298,000 views and 800 comments (Know Your Meme, 2015).

Confused Nick Young, also known as Swaggy P, refers to a reaction image featuring NBA basketball player Nick Young with question marks surrounding his head, which was popularized on Black Twitter to express confusion online, most notably during the Drake and Meek Mill Feud (Know Your Meme, 2015). The meme's versatility made it particularly effective for expressing bewilderment over everything from confusing social media posts to inexplicable news events.

The cultural impact extended beyond simple reaction imagery. Young himself embraced the meme status, acknowledging it in interviews and social media interactions. "That thing ain't died. It's been, what, two years now?" Young said. "Some people only recognize me for that — ain't you the meme guy?" (Washington Post, 2017).