How fast things are going for Kyshawn George (20 years old)… Almost two years ago to the day, on November 1, 2022, he was the only valid leader of Élan Chalon to play a quarter-final of Leaders Cup Pro B at Angers and he was not particularly convinced (-3 rating in 14 minutes). And at the time, we were ecstatic to see him already at this level, he who only measured 1.73 m when he arrived in Burgundy in 2019 and who had to miss numerous matches due to knee problems born from a sudden growth spurt (he is now measured at 203 centimeters!).
Far from the anonymous games of the Leaders Cup Pro B, the young Swiss shone on the biggest stage possible. Opposing the Golden State Warriors, the former Elan junior embodied the fighting spirit of the Washington Wizards. Catastrophic in the first half (0 points at 0/6), very clumsy since his arrival in the NBA (2/22 at 3-points), Kyshawn George didn't give up and didn't stop taking his chances. With happiness, this time. “I liked the way he kept shooting even though he missed everything at the beginning”applauded the master in the field, Stephen Curry. “It's a mentality that you can't learn and he ended up hitting some big shots. » The son of ex-Brest player Deon George thus accumulated 20 points in the second half (7/19 over the entire match, including 6/17 at 3-points), 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 rebound and 1 assist in 38 minutes. “My teammates and the technical staff kept telling me not to stop shooting”he said after the meeting. “I know I’m a good shooter. It's just that my shots weren't going in lately but I kept my confidence. It's good to see them fall in. »
Thus, haw became the first rookie of the season to reach the 20-point mark. He also tied a Washington franchise record for most 3-pointers made (6), tied with Corey Kispert and Bradley Beal. “It’s nice to share a record with these kinds of names but I still have a long way to go”he evacuates.
Above all, the former Chalonnais stood out for his defiant attitude towards Draymond Green, far from being intimidated by the colossal CV of the quadruple NBA champion. Enough to attract public congratulations from the Golden State veteran. “After the match, I went to Kyshawn to tell him to keep it up and keep the same energy. During the match, he told me that I couldn't shoot (he smiles). I told him that he was still in elementary school watching me win a title and that people already thought that. He told me he didn't care and I like that (he laughs). I'm a big fan of him and Bob (Carrington, the other Wizards rookie), the energy and the attitude they bring. This is the first time I've seen a Washington team play this hard in years and it's because of these two. They don't stop talking, trash-talking, and I like it. I was the same when I arrived in the NBA. These two have the right attitude and what's more, they're good. It's not like they're just talking into a void. Tonight they earned my respect. »
