Subscribe
Follow Us
Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma made his presence felt in Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat on Friday. The 6-foot-8 sparkplug contributed 11 points on 3-of-8 shooting from the field and 2-of-6 from downtown in 22 minutes off the bench.
Sitting down with Steve Smith and Jared Greenberg post-match, Kuzma opened up about embracing a lesser role in the Lakers' current championship-seeking unit.
“I'm just embracing my role. It's never about scoring right now, especially with the role I'm in,” the Flint, Michigan-native shared.
“It's just really about coming in and playing with energy, get stops defensively. When my number is called just be ready. I think that's what I did tonight”.
The University of Utah product also admitted that he is still in awe of just how great his superstar teammates LeBron James and Anthony Davis play together on the floor. Here's the full clip of Kuz's interview.
“I’m embracing my role.”
Kuzma discusses playing in his first #NBAFinals after LA’s Game 2 win. pic.twitter.com/Ojseh1nBa8
— NBA TV (@NBATV) October 3, 2020
With opposing defenses focused on The King and The Brow, Kyle Kuzma is pegged as the third guy who can make buckets on a consistent basis for the Lakeshow.
But that hasn't always been the case for Kuzma so far this season, particularly in the playoffs where he's had inconsistent showings so far. Game 2's modest output for Kuz is a good sign for LA, especially with him showing more commitment to defense on Friday.
Offense has never been a problem for Kuz and everyone knows he is a walking bucket when he gets it going.
Kuzma has been ridiculed online each time he figures in a bad shooting night or exhibits poor defensive effort. It's nice to see him take that criticism in stride and strive to become a better overall player for head coach Frank Vogel.
