© Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
OAKLAND — Nick Young fittingly returned to Oracle Arena Friday night by distracting everyone he encountered. Maybe it was the 2007 MLB All-Star Game pullover jacket or the leopard-print pants.
One thing is clear: the process for a player to receive his championship ring and walk off the floor took longer than it should have when Young did it Friday night. At least that’s what NBA referee Ken Mauer thought.
By the time Young had waved to the crowd, plodded past the Warriors’ huddle, and shook hands with numerous players, Mauer’s patience had run thin. He slapped the Warriors with a delay-of-game warning — before the game had even started.
Yes, Young directly impacted the game in his first night back in Oracle despite not playing.
“Very fitting to get a delay of game giving a ring to Nick,” Green said after Golden State’s 120-114 win over Cleveland. “He actually caused it doing all the little waving and stuff.”
On another night, this may have bothered the Warriors, who have been subjected to technicals, ejections, and fines due to their frustration with NBA officials throughout recent weeks. It started with the Warriors’ 131-130 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves last week. The final minute of the game was filled with questionable calls, all against the Warriors, including a Kevin Durant foul with less than one second left. The foul put Minnesota’s Karl Anthony-Towns on the line, and he drilled two free throws for the win.
In the aftermath, Green was fined $35,000 for his cryptic tweets, Curry was fined $25,000 for taunting the refs and making comments, and Durant was fined $15,000 for his comments. Then, earlier this week, Durant was ejected after being assessed two technicals in quick succession.
Friday’s pregame delay-of-game warning threw Curry off at first, until he realized the cause.
“I wish he would have just gave (the warning) to Nick Young instead of us,” Curry joked after his 40-point performance. “He was taking his sweet time, for sure, as he should have. Probably more just entertainment for everybody, trying to get the game started, but we did take a long time, for sure.”
Earlier this week, Steve Kerr anticipated Young’s return would be met with laughs. It was. About 30 minutes before the Warriors tipped off with the visiting Cavaliers Friday, Young answered questions from reporters. When he was asked about his post-Warriors life, he mumbled his way to a hilarious response. We learned a lot. Young will soon release a television show called “Swaggy’s World.” He said he has been a good dad. He added that he has been taking out the trash in his spare time.
Young’s goofiness endeared him to his teammates in his lone season with the Warriors. That much was clear when Curry laughed throughout Friday’s ring ceremony and seemingly every Warrior watching Young strut around couldn’t keep it together.
With every joke about Young, however, his coaches and teammates typically follow it with something more heartfelt and serious. Kerr ended his answer on Young’s contagious personality by adding that he hit some big shots for the Warriors last year. Green mentioned that “Nick has been through a lot in his career,” and awarding Young with the ring was a special moment.
Young, currently a free agent, has played with six different NBA teams, three in the last three years. Earlier this season, the Nuggets signed Young, only to release him 20 games later in December.
Friday showed that Young has been missed around the Warriors’ halls. Green said he wishes Young was still on the team, but the one year they played together, culminating in a championship, was filled with long-lasting memories.
“That’s something special that nobody can ever take away from him,” Green said.