Nick Young on Game Winner: ‘I Stole It From My Own Teammate. They Should Give Me a Steal For That!’

Following a disastrous 2015-’16 season, many thought Nick Young wouldn’t survive training camp with the Lakers. Instead, Young has been a key part of the Lakers’ 8-7 start and had his biggest play of the season last night when he hit a game-winner against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Being praised as a hero, Young could have easily been considered the scapegoat. Young intercepted a pass that was clearly intended for Lou Williams before letting the ball fly. After the game, a happy Young told reporters that he “should get steal for that!”

More from ESPN:

“Mine is kind of unique because I stole it from my own teammate,” the Lakers guard said with a laugh after the Lakers’ 111-109 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder at Staples Center. “It wasn’t designed for me, but that should go down in history.”

 

“They should’ve given me a steal for that!” added Young, who finished with 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting, including 4-of-7 from 3-point range. “[Williams] let me know after the game; he told me I was lucky I made it.”

Luke Walton heaped praise on Young, saying that the shooting guard is “not afraid of the moment:”

“Obviously, 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,” Lakers coach Luke Walton said. “He loves the moment.”

Related
Nick Young: We Think We Could Make The Playoffs, For Sure