Free agent shooting guard Nick Young had a brief one-year stint with the Golden State Warriors, as it became apparent that the team would not bring him back after the 2017-18 season. Yet, the man known as Swaggy P came out of the deal an NBA champion for the first time, something critics still have trouble grasping.

Social media has been relatively ruthless to Young, who has been considered to get his ring by just being part of a stacked roster, rather than earning it.

“I won a championship. I’m over it,” Young told Adam Caparell of Complex. “The Warriors had to see something in me for them wanting me to come there and be part of something special. Hopefully they saw that, and if not, I’m still a champion.”

Young, an 11-year veteran, got off to a blazing start in the season-opener — dropping a season-high 23 points on 8-of-9 shooting in his Warriors debut, a mark he'd have trouble replicating. Young's initial minutes (mostly due to Stephen Curry's foul trouble) quickly dwindled, after showing a lack of focus on the defensive end.

It all came back full circle for him, though, as his defense in limited minutes during the Western Conference Finals and the NBA Finals proved vital, giving Klay Thompson a break and stepping in for an injured Andre Iguodala.

“I love basketball. I wish people could see that it’s hard to be in the NBA—not only to get there, but to stay there this long,” he said. “I know players who were drafted higher than me that are gone.”

“I’ve been in this league for 11 years, so I’ve been doing something right.”

Young remains an unrestricted free agent and if he has been doing it right all along, there's bound to be another team that could use a gifted shooter with championship experience before the start of training camp.