Lakers: Kyle Kuzma Reflects Fondly On His Time in Los Angeles
It was all love for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Kyle Kuzma on Friday night. With the two former Lakers back in town, fans gave them a warm welcome when the lineups were introduced. The team followed that up with a tribute for the two 2020 NBA Champions and thanked them for their time in Los Angeles.
As they took the court, there was no bad blood between them and the Lakers. They both hugged former teammate LeBron James, the only guy on the court that they had played with while in Los Angeles. The supporting cast had no connection to them, marking a sign of the times.
After the Lakers walked away with a win, Kuzma spoke about what it meant to receive such a warm welcome from the LA faithful. (from everyone but THT)
"It means I've got a legacy here at the end of the day. This is the team that drafted me. I spent four years here. Laker Nation and being a Laker is forever in my heart. We won a championship here. We did a lot of great things. I established myself, and it's really, really cool. I'm just a kid from Flint, Michigan, at the end of the day. I always think about that -- being from a small town coming to L.A. and just making some noise. That's the American dream, honestly, for me. I loved it here and I'm glad to hear for the fans to be so receptive who love me."
There is no doubt that Kuzma's time in Los Angeles was marked by ups and downs. He had a huge year during his rookie campaign that carried over into the following season. But when LeBron came to Los Angeles, he saw his role shift drastically.
That eventually resulted in the Lakers dealing him to DC in the Russell Westbrook trade. And now, he finds himself flourishing with a constant starting role.
