The Los Angeles Lakers managed to win an NBA championship large in part due to having LeBron James and Anthony Davis leading the way. While they are both incredibly talented individuals, it takes leadership to get a supporting cast to buy in. That happened with Kyle Kuzma.
After the Lakers’ trade for Anthony Davis, LeBron James made it a point to challenge Kyle Kuzma to find what he wanted from the game of basketball. Would he prefer to focus on his stats? Or does he want to be part of a greater collective group achievement?
“It all depends what you want in this sport, to be honest,” LeBron James said, via Brad Sullivan of Lakers Daily. “… Do you want to score a bunch of points but sometimes it doesn’t really matter or doesn’t make a difference in winning or losing? Or do you want to be a part of something special where you continue to get better, you continue to make an impact and you have a role on the team where you’re playing for something more than the sum of your individuality?”
It has taken quite a bit of sacrifice from Kyle Kuzma early in his NBA career. He averaged 16.1 points and 6.3 rebounds as a rookie and managed to work his way into the starting lineup. He appeared well on his way to be a key player for a Lakers team filled with young players.
LeBron James then signed with the Lakers before Kyle Kuzma’s sophomore campaign. After two games, Kuzma became a full-time starter and averaged a career-best 18.7 points, a mark that he hasn’t come close to matching since that year.
The Lakers’ trade for Anthony Davis was when Kyle Kuzma had to begin taking a seat. Davis’ insistance on not playing the five spot meant that Kuzma had to return to coming off the bench. His scoring average dropped to 12.8 points per game in 2019-20 and is now down to 10.7 so far this season.
It will be fascinating to see if Kyle Kuzma remains apart of the Los Angeles Lakers’ long-term plans. He’s the team’s best trade asset given their lack of draft picks. While he hasn’t been mentioned in NBA trade rumors, it’s to think about.
