It looks like Nick Young didn’t see Jason Pierre-Paul’s PSA.
Young is lucky his right hand is still attached to his body after the Los Angeles Lakers guard tempted fate in a big, big way over the weekend at a Fourth of July celebration.
For whatever reason, Young thought it was a good idea to pick up a lit firework, hold it in his hand and let it shoot into the air while he was still holding it. TMZ Sports obtained video of the incident, complete with Young appearing to spook himself as the explosive goes off.
To say that’s a stupid move is a huge understatement. It doesn’t take a Ph.D. to know playing with firecrackers is absurdly risky, and doing so as a professional athlete is insanely stupid. Making matters worse, Young did so literally one year after another professional athlete — New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul — suffered a serious injury (while enduring plenty of humilation) after blowing off parts of his fingers in his own fireworks incident.
Pierre-Paul even appeared in a fireworks safety PSA that debuted before the holiday weekend, warning about the dangers of playing with fireworks if you’re not a trained professional. Young came pretty close to shoring up a spot in next year’s video.
Thumbnail photo via Jennifer Stewart/USA TODAY Sports Images
