Kyle Kuzma is one lucky guy. He got to watch, know, and play alongside two of the greatest players in the history of the NBA: Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. Moreover, he built a strong bond with the two of them.
That kind of privilege comes with great responsibility. Kuzma had to prove that he had the work ethic to try and keep up with these two legends. And even though he’s not with the team anymore, it still paid off with a big contract.
So, looking back on his first couple of years in the league, Kuzma talked to Draymond Green about the most significant lessons he learned from both Kobe and LeBron and how they always tried to keep him grounded and working hard.
NBA News: Kyle Kuzma Reveals Best AdviceFrom Kobe Bryant, LeBron James
(Transcript via Fadeaway World)
“The biggest thing he always said was ‘keep the main thing, the main thing’. That was one, and two, that was like my North Star, ‘you may never get there but what you get out of it is what you’re trying to reach’. The ultimate professional, take care of your body, playing every single game, having this type of mentality like ‘I am here for a reason. This is my purpose. Having somebody like that early on in my career changed everything for me.”
“I could say the same thing about Bron coming in Year 2 and seeing it from a player perspective. Kobe was here, but he was retired by that point, so it was word of mouth. With LeBron, I am really seeing it too.”
“Having that relationship with Kobe, man, was everything. I still have the text messages, I never deleted them. Things to go back on, things to think of life, like he was just so smart about everything. Not just the game, even things you think of. The attention to detail he had in basketball? He had in life, he had in business, he had in relationships. That’s what I want for my life.”
Kuzma wound up playing a key role in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 17th banner, and even though he never broke out as the star some thought he’d be, it’s clear that those lessons shaped the start of what could be a long and successful NBA career.
