There's no doubt Los Angeles Lakers rookie Kyle Kuzma can ball. After all, he had a standout performance during the Las Vegas Summer League, where he won the finals MVP honors, and continued his impressive display in the NBA preseason.
However, besides his basketball skills, there's another thing that caught head coach Luke Walton's attention about the 22-year-old, according to Ryan Ward of ClutchPoints:
Luke on Kuzma: “His competitive spirit is impressive.” #Lakers
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) October 3, 2017
Luke on Kuzma: “He loves to compete, honestly.” #Lakers
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) October 3, 2017
After being selected 27th overall in this year's draft, Kuzma certainly wants to prove something, and his competitive spirit is undoubtedly a driving force that keeps him going.
Much has been said about the Flint, Michigan native with Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson even calling him the “steal” of the 2017 NBA draft. Walton also chimed in recently and said he's no longer surprised with Kuzma's performance in their preseason opener.
Kuzma will probably battle for minutes with the likes of Larry Nance Jr. and Julius Randle when the season starts, but it's a good thing to hear that he's ready to go out any time and prove himself on the NBA hardwood.
There are still a lot of questions if Kuzma's game will translate in the league. However, the tell-tale signs are that he's ready to embrace and live up to the hype.