Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma is committed to playing for USA Basketball this summer despite the fact that several players have already opted to focus on the preparation for the 2019-20 NBA season.
The USA national basketball team will not be at full force after most of the biggest stars in the NBA begged off from participation. Kuzma was one of the original part of the pool for the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup, and the 24-year-old forward told Arash Markazi of the Los Angeles Times that he will not let the opportunity slip by this summer.
Kuzma said that he will take the national team stint very seriously, and he feels he has earned his spot in the team. He also pointed out that he is aware that a lot of young players became better and more matured after playing for the national team in major tournaments like the FIBA World Cup and Olympics.
“I’m not going to take for granted the chance to represent my country,” Kuzma said. “I worked hard for this moment. I wasn’t a top recruit or an All-American, so I earned this. I’ve also heard from some players who say they come back from Team USA more confident and poised and have career years. Hopefully, I can do the same.”
The two-year veteran is coming off a strong season for the Lakers. Kuzma averaged 18.7 points on top of 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 70 games for the Lakers last season. He was mentioned in numerous trade rumors, but Los Angeles was determined to keep the versatile forward.
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