It wasn’t enough for the team to seriously contend for the playoffs, but the Los Angeles Lakers did boast their most-promising rookie class in quite some time this season, with Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Josh Hart and even Thomas Bryant all flashing varying levels of tantalizing potential.
The other thing the first three members of that group have shown? A love for razzing each other through the media, something that was on full display as Hart and Kuzma prepared to play the Utah Jazz on Tuesday.
The game was a bit of a homecoming for Kuzma, who spent his college years playing for the Utes. The rookie forward has taken to Los Angeles fairly quickly, however, and Hart told reporters his theory on why, via Tania Ganguli of the L.A. Times:
After shootaround Tuesday, Josh Hart joked about Kyle Kuzma fitting so well in Los Angeles because “he’s Hollywood.”
Kuzma didn’t want to just take that lying down though. He argued Hart was more “Hollywood” because of flying to watch Villanova play in — and win — the national championship:
“No, first of all he’s the most Hollywood person,” Kuzma said, ribbing Hart right back. “He got a private jet just to go to Villanova. I don’t have the money to do that, so … No, not a chance. We have a game the next day, I’d be here supporting with my team instead of going to San Antonio.”
For the Lakers to reach their full potential as a unit, they’ll need to not only coalesce on the floor, but build their chemistry off of it as well so that the team stays happy playing together in the years to come.
And make no mistake, the banter between Kuzma and Hart is all love, and seems to just be the dynamic this young Lakers team has together. As long as it stays positive moving forward while they continue to grow, then it’s just another indicator that this group has a promising future together.