Lakers' Kyle Kuzma Says Warriors Loss Is 'Karma' For 2017 Western Conference Finals
Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma implied that the Raptors winning the 2019 NBA championship was "karma" for when Kawhi Leonard got injured while playing against the Warriors in the 2017 Western Conference finals while with the Spurs.
Leonard missed four of San Antonio's final five playoff games in the 2017 Western Conference finals due to a sprained left ankle which he suffered in Game 1 of the series. The Warriors suffered a series of serious injuries during the NBA playoffs, particularly in the Finals.
Golden State's star forward Kevin Durant initially injured his calf against the Rockets on May 9 and returned to the Dubs lineup for Game 5, when he exited the game after rupturing his Achilles. During Thursday night's series-clinching Game 6, the Warriors also lost Klay Thompson to a torn ACL during the third quarter. Both big men Kevon Looney and DeMarcus Cousins also battled injuries this postseason as Golden State unsuccessfully sought a third-straight championship.
"This was karma from the spurs series when kawhi [sic] got hurt vs the warriors," Kuzma tweeted. "Sucks to say."
The Spurs injury-plagued player then injured his quad before the start of the following season and played in just nine games in the 2017-18 season. Leonard was then traded to the Raptors last offseason. Leonard won the 2019 NBA MVP award after leading Toronto to its first championship in franchise history with a 114-110 Game 6 win over the Warriors.
