DCLS Exclusive Interview with Washington Wizard Nick Young: Nicknames, The Dunk Contest, and Locker Room Pranks

Finally, here is the final installment of The DCLS exclusive interview with Nick Young, who we will be checking-in with throughout the season. For those of you who missed part 1, and part 2, the interview has been broken into 3 installments, with this being the final portion. This part is my favorite, as Nick and I covered locker room pranks, his nickname, and the dunk contest.

(Note: edited to add a couple questions after a brief conversation with Nick tonight)

DC Landing Strip: Your nickname is The City, but it took me awhile to figure out that that came from your initials, because you’re not from New York. Who came up with that nickname? Do you even like it?
Nick Young: The City, yeah, yeah, it’s a cool nickname. You know I think the Post or someone (came up with it). I grew up in LA, from LA, born in LA. I’ve just got the NY initials.

DCLS: Do you have one of those I Love New York shirts? Because that would be awesome.
NY: Hell yeah (that would be awesome), and even make some of those with my picture in it. We gotta sell those.

1st Product of the DCLS T-Shirt Store?

DCLS: So what do you think of the DC Landing Strip nickname we created for you, Young Eazy, versus The City, which one is better?
NY: Aw, I dunno. I like Young Eazy, you know it’s kinda got that Weazy kind Eazy feel to it.

DCLS: How are we gonna spell it?
NY: I dunno, I like the ZY, I’m gonna go ZY, gonna make it look funky.

DCLS: Done and done. How about Agent Double-0, cuz you're twice the man Gil is?
NY: Yeah it's cool, it's cool, I wanna let Gil think about it, I'd do that just to be funny with him, cuz I'm the bigger man. It's up there, I like Double-Zero because I wanna get a response from everybody, but I still like Young Eazy too.

DCLS: Any other nicknames we should consider?
NY: Young Sushi, because I'm raw. Sometimes people say that when I'm in the gym.

DCLS: What's the best locker room prank you’ve ever seen?
NY: Probably Gil, he gotta do it all the way. Tearing people’s clothes up, and having nothing to wear home but your uniform. Oh man, jumping us and throwin’ us in the cold pool. It’s a lot you know, all I have to say is probably ripping your clothes up and having to go home in your uniform.

DCLS: He rips them up? He doesn’t just steal, he rips them?
NY: Yeah yeah, just cuts ‘em up. You know you have a nice suit, and he just cut it up.

DCLS: Speaking of Gil, what do you think of what he said last week about the team not holding him back from training?
NY: Wait, what'd he say? I seriously dunno, I didn't have the internet. What'd he say?

DCLS: Either you just sit and read a book all day, or the Wiz PR staff has trained you well. Who would win a Wizards team dunk contest? You gotta be the heavy favorite, but who do you think would at least compete with you?
NY: Probably gonna say McGee. The (tall guys) don’t look so good when they compete. So I’d come out on top, probably Dominic, and depending on how Gil feels, he got a little sneaky bounce to him. Oh and Javaris, Javaris can jump a little bit.

DCLS: So you would be first and who would be 2nd?
NY: I have to go McGee.

DCLS: McGee? I woulda gone Andray. He’s a good athlete, and I feel like he can throw some between the legs kinda thing.
NY: Who, Andray?!? Naw, naw, naw, naw. He can (jump), but he ain’t that creative. He can jump though.

DCLS: You know what you need to do, you guys should have a team dunk contest and put it on youtube and get you in the dunk contest when you win.
NY: That’d be good. I’m down, I’m down, I wanna get in.

DCLS: Do you have any personal goals for the season, stats?
NY: Just winnin’ the dunk contest!

Ed. Note: Feel free to leave any nickname ideas in the comments section.

(Image courtesy of awfulannouncing.blogspot.com)