The 2019-20 Los Angeles Lakers that won a championship boasted one of the deepest rosters in recent seasons. LeBron James and Anthony Davis led the way, but the role players were outstanding with the likes of Kyle Kuzma, Rajon Rondo, Alex Caruso, Danny Green, Dwight Howard and many others all contributing in a big way to hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy.
On a team full of mostly veterans, Kuzma was the young guy in the rotation, the lone player remaining from the promising Lakers core that had been built over prior years. And even though he is now a veteran in the league in his own right, he still views James and Rondo from those years as the most influential teammates he’s ever had.
“I’d say probably Bron or Rondo,” Kuzma said in an appearance on the White Noise podcast. “[LeBron] got so much money that you just see a certain type of life that is maybe not attainable because not everybody can be a billionaire, but it’s like a North Star to you. Like this guy’s got a lot of motion and there’s other things off the court where it’s like, I actually can do more and you just gotta put your mind to it.
“And then Rondo because he’s just so sophisticated, so smart basketball-wise. He’s like a savant, it like made you wanna pick up your acumen. He would call sometimes after a game at like 3 a.m., ‘Yo, what you doing?’ Like ‘I’m in bed.’ He’s like ‘Yo, turn the game on, go to 8:10 in the third quarter. What are you thinking here?’ And that’s like motivating, you know?”
Rondo has always been viewed as one of the smartest players to ever step foot on an NBA court so seeing how he took to teaching a young Kuzma at that time is great and it has stuck with him throughout his career. To that same point, being around a megastar like James opens your eyes to so many different things that are possible in this world and, as Kuzma noted, can motivate you to do more in your life both on and off the court.
James and Rondo are two excellent mentors and teachers to have for a young player and Kuzma has kept those lessons with him as he has gotten older and more mature in his career.
Kyle Kuzma says 2017 Lakers were best Summer League team of all-time
Kuzma introduced himself to the NBA world during the 2017 Summer League where he, Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram led the Lakers to the championship in Las Vegas. And Kuzma believes that squad is still the greatest Summer League team ever.
If you love our reporting, choose LakersNation.com as a preferred source on Google.
