Kyle Kuzma spent three seasons with LeBron James on the Los Angeles Lakers, winning a title in the process. Kuzma was just traded to the Washington Wizards as part of the Russell Westbrook deal, but even though he won't be LeBron's teammate anymore, he'll take the wisdom he learned from The King with him to the nation's capital.

In a lengthy post for The Players' Tribune, Kuzma outlined what playing with LeBron on the Lakers meant to his career:

I know that being around LeBron has reshaped my thinking in all of these important ways. Like, just the idea of thinking about a game as being about more than the score. I think in my first couple of years here, I was kind of a slave to the scoreboard. But now, I’ve had multiple games this year, where I’ve pushed myself so far beyond that. Or the idea of fully committing to doing it all — and just watching a guy like LeBron play defense, score, playmake, and also rebound, basically go all out, every single night. I never thought I would ever even come close to triple doubles….. but I understand how that kind of game is possible now.

Kuzma didn't become that consistent third scoring option he hoped to be with the Lakers, but he did improve in other areas of the game. As noted, he learned that basketball isn't just about getting buckets, even if that is ultimately the name of the game. Becoming a more well-rounded player is important and helps make a player more valuable when games really matter.

The 26-year-old now hopes to bring this knowledge with him from the Lakers to the Wizards, who overhauled their roster around Bradley Beal with this big trade. Washington will look to make the playoffs in a competitive Eastern Conference.