Kyle Kuzma Sees Playing With LeBron James, Anthony Davis An Absolute Career Boost
The Lakers moved for an overhaul in the past two seasons with the arrival of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. But these two superstars redefined the Purple & Gold as they became the core of the team. Guys like Kyle Kuzma were forced to play supporting roles and it appears the unintended demotion doesn't bother the young power forward.
At 24, Kuzma has been touted as the future of the resurging Lakers. His first year with the team was described as the time to develop then James came in. The hope of winning a title became more real and it got another boost when Davis landed on the LA side.
James and AD dominated and it meant too that Kuzma's time to shine has to wait. The Michigan native said he didn't mind his current role with the Lakers. For him, the main objective is to win.
"Playing behind Anthony Davis and LeBron James ... it could have been a little different," Silver Screen & Roll reported the Lakers star as saying.
Tasked to support what his more established teammates are doing, Kuzma said his defined role gave him a more focused perspective and he is aware that in the ongoing campaign, the battle cry for the Lakers is to win the title.
"For me, it's all about trying to add the win to championship basketball ... Over the first two years, it was just that development: get in, just try to get your feet in. Then, you jump into a situation where the only thing that matters is winning, so you just try to build championship habits," Kuzma further explained.
The notion of making sacrifices to achieve greater things has become a clearer concept for Kuzma with James and AD in the roster. He acknowledged that the first two years with the famed NBA club can be summed up as a learning stage. He failed to advance beyond the regular season without the James-AD tandem.
Now he is sure to play in the postseason and most of the credit goes to his new teammates.
"I got a chance to have a backseat to the best two players in the NBA and really learn from them, and see what they do on a daily basis, how they approach the game. For me, I think this whole experience this past season has really boded well for my career," Kuzma said, and per the report from Fadeaway World.
The report added that Kuzma's attitude on the situation, in which he is handed a lesser role so that James and Davis can do what they do best, is laudable. And while learning from the two, the youngster can also work on leveling up his game.
The season saw Kuzma only averaging over 12 points per game, which is a downgrade from his impressive start in the first two seasons with the Lakers. However, the power forward ha dialed up on his career net rating, which he attributed to the presence of James and Davis.