Never go full Nick Young.
Kyle Kuzma tried to channel Steph Curry on Tuesday night, but he ended up becoming Nick Young instead.
It’s been established over the decades that celebrating early is never a good idea. That said, if you can pull it off in the NBA the early celebration becomes one of the coldest, and most demoralizing moves in the game. It tells the other team “I don’t need to try to follow this, because y’all can’t stop me” and when you’re preening to the crowd as the ball drains through it’s an epic moment.
Still, there’s inherent risk you might end up like Nick Young.
The Wizards bench couldn’t keep it together. You can see that as soon as Kuz turns they know the ball isn’t going in, and by the time it hits iron they’re doubled over laughing at their teammate. Kuzma didn’t find it that funny, but you invited this one man — it’s on you at that point.
In the end this was just a hilarious moment in time. The Wizards won 119-117 and Kuzma scored 23 points. So it wasn’t all bad. Just this one horrible shot.
