Last Wednesday’s contest between the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors marked the first time Nick Young squared off against his former team since departing via free agency during the offseason.
Young had spent the previous four seasons with the Lakers going from fan favorite to coach’s doghouse and back again. Both Young and his former teammates were looking forward to his return and indicated a lot of trash talking was to come.
Something that was a bit of an unknown was how the fans would respond to Young when he checked in, and it turned there were some audible boos from the Staples Center crowd. According to Mark Medina of the San Jose Mercury News, Young said he was hurt by the reaction:
“I was a little hurt by these boos, man,” Young said. “L.A. ain’t got love for Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre.”
Young, of course, is referencing the an infamous moment at the 1995 Source Hip-Hop Awards. Rap legend Snoop Dogg and his West Coast counterparts on Death Row Records were booed by the New York crowd, prompting that response.
Ultimately, Young got the last laugh as his Warriors came out victorious. He finished with nine points on 3-of-5 shooting and made some impact despite a couple of moments that left him laying on the floor.
The crowd’s response to Young was slightly surprising to many as, not only is Young a former Laker, but he is a hometown guy as well. He grew up in Los Angeles and played his college ball at USC.
Young and the Lakers’ parting this summer seemed pretty mutual and on good terms, so this was far from a Dwight Howard situation. Nonetheless, with the Lakers fans hungry for a victory, anyone in the opposite jersey was the enemy and Young had to feel the wrath on this night.
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