Former NBA star Nick Young retired from the NBA, but his assessment of current and former NBA stars often brought his name into the limelight. Recently, Nick Young made headlines when he claimed Kyrie Irving is a better player than Stephen Curry.
However, Young’s latest comments have taken things a step further, this time targeting the historic Los Angeles Lakers team led by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. In a recent post on X, Young claimed that the Lakers’ legendary duo would not have been able to defeat the 2017-18 Golden State Warriors.
“I love the Lakers, but the shaq and Kobe team is not beating 2017-18 warriors …. all this shaq is the most dominant big ever stuff they lost to Billups, Hamilton, Prince, Rasheed Wallace and Ben Wallace 4-1 respectfully warriors in 5 on both teams,” he wrote in X.
Fans Rip Nick Young Over Controversial Take on Lakers-Warriors Legacy Debate
Nick Young’s comment references the legendary Lakers team that won three consecutive championships from 2000 to 2002, led by the dynamic duo of Bryant and O’Neal. However, the former NBA star argues that even this dominant team would not have overcome the firepower of the 2017-18 Golden State Warriors, who secured back-to-back championships in 2017 and 2018.
As expected, Young’s comment quickly drew a wave of criticism. Fans quickly criticized him for his back-to-back controversial takes on current and former players.
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Many fans were particularly outraged by his claim that the Warriors’ legacy surpasses that of the Lakers team that accomplished the rare feat of winning three consecutive titles.
Critics of Young’s statement pointed out that while the Warriors were undoubtedly a powerful team, they never achieved the same level of sustained dominance as the Lakers.
Indeed, Nick Young’s remarks have reignited discussions about the greatest teams in NBA history. But they’ve also shown that some legacies are harder to challenge than others.
Also Read: VIDEO: Nick Young Gets Real On Why Kevin Garnett Was A Better Player Than Tim Duncan.