Michael Young (basketball, born 1961)


Michael Wayne Young is an American retired professional basketball player. He had a 15-year playing career spent in the National Basketball Association and overseas. He was most recently the director of basketball operations and performance enhancement at the University of Houston, his alma mater.

College career

Young, a native Houstonian, played basketball at Yates High School and the University of Houston. With the Houston Cougars, he was part of Phi Slama Jama and was named Southwest Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year in 1983, along with teammate Clyde Drexler. He played in the 1983 NCAA Final, a loss to the North Carolina State Wolfpack, as well as the 1984 final, a loss to the Georgetown Hoyas.

Professional career

NBA and CBA

Michael Young was selected by the Boston Celtics with the 24th overall pick of the 1984 NBA draft.
He played in three NBA seasons: 1984–85 with the Phoenix Suns, 1985–86 with the Philadelphia 76ers, and 1989–90 with the Los Angeles Clippers. He also played two seasons with the Continental Basketball Association's Detroit Spirit, where he was named the CBA's Player of the Year in 1986 after averaging 26 points per game.

Overseas

Young also played in the Philippines, Spain, Italy, France and Israel. In 1986, he led Manila Beer to the finals of the Philippine Basketball Association Open Conference, losing to the Ginebra San Miguel team led by Billy Ray Bates. Young, however, won Best Import honors over the highly favored Bates. He would return the following year, this time with the Great Taste Coffee Makers, which he led to another runner-up finish to Tanduay Rhum, led by David Thirdkill. While with the French League's Limoges, he won the 1993 European Club Championship, the EuroLeague.

Post-playing career

Young concluded his playing career in 1998 before returning to the University of Houston. He spent one season as an assistant men's basketball coach and five years as Houston's strength and conditioning coach. He then became the director of basketball operations and performance enhancement.

Personal life

Young earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Houston in 2002. He and his wife, Tina, have five children: Michael Jr., Joseph, Mayorca, Jacob and Milan Maria. Joseph played college basketball for Houston and Oregon and followed his father's footsteps to the NBA in 2015 as a member of the Indiana Pacers. His youngest son, Jacob Young, played at the University of Texas and has transferred to Rutgers.