Throughout the 2017-18 NBA season, one of the many highlights for the Los Angeles Lakers was the young core’s chemistry, especially between Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma.
After being the team’s first two selections in the 2017 NBA Draft, Ball and Kuzma developed a bond which began at the Las Vegas Summer League. From Summer League champions to being named to the 2017-18 NBA Rookie First and Second Teams, respectively, Ball and Kuzma have enjoyed one another’s company.
Included in that was lobbying friendly attacks at each other on social media. During the offseason, it has only continued as Kuzma won Bleacher Report’s ‘Player Hater of the Year’ Award and Ball recently released a diss track called “Kylie Kuzma.”
Although it was all in good fun, some within the organization was reportedly upset with the song. According to Ramona Shelburne and Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN, the Lakers were concerned about the direction of the messages:
Though Kuzma and Ball are close friends, the Lakers had grown concerned about the increasingly personal nature of some of the recent roasting between two of their young stars, sources told ESPN.
After speaking to the two players, the Lakers were able to find a solution, and the teammates don’t harbor any negative feelings:
Sources said the team spoke to both players and that there are no lingering issues and that both players agreed to tone down the joking insults on social media.
With the Lakers entering the most important offseason in franchise history, they felt the need to address Ball’s song, which involved Kuzma not having a relationship with his biological father. As it is an extremely sensitive topic, the takeaway is both players are still on good terms.
After strong rookie seasons, Ball and Kuzma are looking to take the next step in their development. Whether free agents come or not in the next two years, the young core has the right mindset of wanting to become those max-contract players and ending the team’s five-year playoff drought would be a step in the right direction.
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