Being Young
Young being Young, it was, perhaps, only fitting that his first-ever game winner likewise provided levity. Heck, he saw fit to distinguish his heave from a treasure trove of memorable makes by legends in purple and gold by contending that “mine is kind of
Who knows what Nick Young was thinking when he literally stole a pass intended for teammate Lou Williams in the waning seconds of the Lakers’ homestand against the Thunder the other day? He may have known that Brandon Ingram, facing double coverage in quartercourt, would swing the ball back to the middle, hence his cut from top of the key to the three-point line. Or he may have not, and simply reacted to the situation. In any case, this much was clear: He intercepted the dish, turned to face the basket, and took a shot. And the result was one he most definitely liked: His 25-foot trey attempt drew the back iron and found the bottom of the net to clinch victory.
To be sure, Young has never lacked confidence. Even when Kobe Bryant ruled the roost, he longed to be the hero; he was never afraid to be best friends with the rim, the inevitable admonitions notwithstanding. This season, however, he appears to finally understand the importance of earning it. In part, it’s because of knowledge gained from experience. In larger measure, it’s because of the nurturing, if laid- back, style of new head coach Luke Walton. And he’s thriving; he now starts for the Lakers, with his performance slowly earning him a reputation for reliability on both ends of the floor.
Young being Young, it was, perhaps, only fitting that his first-ever game winner likewise provided levity. Heck, he saw fit to distinguish his heave from a treasure trove of memorable makes by legends in purple and gold by contending that “mine is kind of unique because [it came off a pass] I stole… from my own teammate.” And, between laughs, he couldn’t help but note that statisticians “should have [credited] me [with] a steal for that.” He could have also been called for traveling in light of his awkward pirouette more suited on a dance floor, but, hey, that he got away with the violation served only to underscore his role as prime beneficiary of circumstance.
Still, there can be no denying the significant progress Young has made. Last season, he made headlines not for anything his did in a jersey, but because a videotape of him discussing his flings with top rookie D’Angelo Russell was leaked. As the Lakers’ esprit de corps crumbled in the aftermath, he thought he was a goner for sure. Instead, he managed to repair his relationship with the Lakers’ future star, and to the point where, in his biggest moment on stage, he thought to give props to his buddy by mimicking the latter’s celebratory act. Meanwhile, Walton praised him for being, well, him. “One of the reasons we like Nick on the court at the end of the game
is because he is not afraid of the moment.” Indeed.