Push Admin

NBA star Kyle Kuzma of the Washington Wizards during a basketball clinic in Quezon City, August 26, 2024. Handout photo

NBA star Kyle Kuzma of the Washington Wizards during a basketball clinic in Quezon City, August 26, 2024

Article (news)

Kyle Kuzma

Romwel Anzures

ABS-CBN News

<div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-color:rgb(0, 0, 0)"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1724685815972_MG_1413.JPG" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="NBA star Kyle Kuzma of the Washington Wizards during a basketball clinic in Quezon City, August 26, 2024. Handout photo"/>NBA star Kyle Kuzma of the Washington Wizards during a basketball clinic in Quezon City, August 26, 2024. Handout photo</div>MANILA — Kyle Kuzma already has a ton of experience in his seven-year NBA career.From being picked 27th overall in the 2017 Draft, playing and winning a championship with the Los Angeles Lakers with NBA superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and eventually being traded to the Washington Wizards in 2021, Kuzma has now made a name for himself.And for the 6-foot-9 winger, one of the biggest factors in his decorated career is the guidance of another fellow Laker — the late, great Kobe Bryant.&quot;It means the world, it means everything. I was very blessed and fortunate that when I first came into the NBA, I was able to build a relationship with him,&quot; said Kuzma during his media availability at the 2024 KuzManila Tour earlier Monday in Makati.Despite being drafted when Bryant was already retired, Kuzma still took time to link up with the Black Mamba and trained with him when he was one of the then Lakers’ young core which also featured Filipino-American ace Jordan Clarkson, Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, and Ivica Zubac. &quot;I asked him about a lot of different things: basketball, life, business, relationships, and what to do and what not to do,&quot; bared the 2018 All-Rookie First Team member.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/2024/8/25/on-kobe-day-kyle-kuzma-reflects-on-the-legacy-of-the-black-mamba-2234">READ: On Kobe Day, Kyle Kuzma reflects on the legacy of the &#x27;Black Mamba&#x27;</a></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1724659586701IMG_4796.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Kyle Kuzma and Kobe Bryant. Photo from Instagram/@kuz."/>Kyle Kuzma and Kobe Bryant. Instagram/@kuz</div>&quot;Coming into the NBA at 21, 22 years old, and having someone like that as a mentor, it guided me. I took his words and did whatever I could with them. It is valuable,&quot; said Kuzma.He was eventually shipped to the Wizards in 2021 alongside Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Montrezl Harell in a blockbuster trade that saw Russell Westbrook go to LA, and he said that there are a lot of differences between living in the US capital state and in Hollywood.  &quot;At first, I really didn&#x27;t know what to expect in Washington. Life is really much slower [in D.C.] In L.A., life is fast-paced, a lot is going on, a lot of traffic, so I really enjoy it in Washington because some things that you don&#x27;t get to do in LA, you get to do here.&quot;Kuzma has since been the main man of the Wizards, with him putting up 22.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in 70 appearances for them last year, and among the reasons that makes him optimistic in the upcoming season is having on board the 2024 second overall pick Alex Sarr as well as veterans Jonas Valanciunas and Malcolm Brogdon.&quot;That&#x27;s the goal [playoffs]. As long as we continue to build, I think anything can happen in the NBA. There&#x27;s always a couple of teams that&#x27;s better than you think, so why can&#x27;t it be us?&quot; he said.&quot;I&#x27;m really excited. Being with the Wizards for, going four years, I really love the direction that we have right now. I love everybody on our team. All these guys love basketball. The number one thing that I&#x27;m excited about is to be around people who are very passionate about the game and also themselves; how they want to be perceived in the basketball world.&quot;But if there is one particular mission that the NBA Champion from Flint, Michigan wants to accomplish starting this season, that is to help others elevate their games and themselves to the next level — much like how Kobe, LeBron, and AD did for him in the time that they spent together. &quot;My goal is to make others get better. I think I&#x27;ve had back-to-back career years, but I want to help somebody have a career year,&quot; he said.&quot;I want to help somebody else improve. I think that&#x27;s the true sign of greatness in a player — to bring other people with you.&quot;<div><ivs-player data-ivs-key="e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603" data-ivs-spid="3001339" data-ivs-vid="3066942"></ivs-player> <script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/loader.js"></script></div>

Kyle Kuzma already has a ton of experience in his seven-year NBA career so far.

Guided by lessons from Kobe, Kyle Kuzma now hopes to pay it forward

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Traffic

Manila

Horoscope

Sports

Guided by lessons from Kobe, Kyle Kuzma now hopes to pay it forward

Romwel Anzures,

ABS-CBN News

Published Aug 26, 2024 05:45 PM PHT

|

Updated Aug 26, 2024 11:23 PM PHT

Read More:

Basketball

ABSSports

NBA

Kyle Kuzma

KuzManila

Los Angeles Lakers

Kobe Bryant

Lakers

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.