Photographer Cassy Athena has had a crazy couple of years. Since starting out taking pictures of NBA players in L.A.'s Drew League during the 2011 NBA lockout, Athena has been able to carve out a lane for herself as the NBA's go-to photographer. She then finessed the Drew League opportunity into shadowing players like Paul George, Reggie Jackson, and LeBron James during their offseason open runs. Cassy is also responsible for that viral Nick Young meme.
On Episode 04 of her Thru the Lens YouTube series, Athena followed Swaggy P around as she recorded him in his home and his mom's house. When Young's mom referred to him as "a clown" when he was younger (not much has changed), Athena captured the magic and added question marks around his reaction for effect.
Our very own Pierce Simpson sat down with Cassy as she opened up about her meteoric rise, the meme seen around the world, and surviving a brain tumor in college. Check the video above and always be on the lookout for that famous Cassy Athena watermark when looking at pictures of your favorite NBA players.
