Kuz Control

Kyle Kuzma isn't done smashing expectations

By Joey Ramirez - Digital Reporter

When Kyle Kuzma sat down for the interview that would change his life, he did not have a script prepared or talking points memorized.

What he did have was a lifetime's worth of experiences packed into only 22 years.

So when he met with the leaders of the Lakers' front office at the 2017 NBA Draft Combine, he shared the story of a young man from Flint, Michigan, who used basketball to survive a city shook by gang violence, recession and lead-contaminated drinking water.

"Kyle talked a lot about his Flint upbringing and some of the things he went through," Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka said. "Almost being homeless, the struggles his mom had for he and his family to survive.

"Right away we sensed that he was a person that knew how important it was to endure through challenges and face adversity and get stronger."

Before that interview, Pelinka already had a vision of the kind of player Kuzma could be: a "Swiss Army knife" forward that could attack the rim, splash three-pointers and defend multiple positions.

Kyle Kuzma during his 2017 Draft workout with the Lakers

Pelinka knew that the University of Utah product had the right skill set for the modern NBA. This interview confirmed that he had the exact mindset for the Lakers.

"I was just me," Kuzma said. "I was just being myself. That's one thing I try to take pride in: not changing up. Just being who I am, and having people love me or hate me for who I am."

The Lakers loved him enough to acquire him (via a draft-day trade with Brooklyn) 27th overall a month later.

The 6-foot-9 power forward quickly established himself as a fan favorite during the Lakers' run to the 2017 Summer League title — winning championship game MVP honors with a 30-point display.

If there were questions of whether he could continue his success in the regular season, Kuzma quickly provided some answers.

By the end of his first month in the NBA, Kuzma led his draft class in scoring by averaging about 17 points, highlighted by seven games of 20-plus in his first 19 appearances.

"He literally shows up to play, no matter what it is," head coach Luke Walton said. "If it's 3-on-3, a shooting contest, some pre-practice drill work … he's always competing."

That insatiable competitiveness comes from the same location as his already-polished offensive arsenal: a high school gym in Flint.

Heading into his junior year at Bentley High, Kuzma spent the offseason learning to attack the paint from his 62-year-old coach, Earl Jordan.

"The entire summer we worked on nothing but post moves," Kuzma said. "Didn't shoot a three — nothing. That's how I developed my footwork: jump hook, running hook, stuff like that. Just from working with him every single day on the same exact moves."

Tracing back to those long days in Flint, Kuzma was able to enter the NBA with a uniquely complete variety of scoring skills, from running jumpers and off-ball cuts to pull-up jumpers and even a skyhook.

Right away we sensed that he was a person that knew how important it was to endure through challenges and face adversity and get stronger. Rob Pelinka

Now he wants to give back to the city that shaped him into a first-year offensive dynamo.

In terms of immediate impact, he plans to use his platform on the world's most popular basketball team to spread awareness about the Flint water crisis — a calamity that has plagued his hometown since April 2014.

But he also has big ideas for the future of Flint, saying he wants to go "the whole nine" with children's basketball camps, community events and youth programs.

"I'll always be back there," Kuzma said. "They always say you never forget where you came from. For me, that holds dear because I love my city.

"I want to be a positive figure in my city for years and years to come. I don't want to be one of those guys that talks about their city and then all of a sudden forgets about it. I don't want to be that type of guy."

It was in this city that a young Kuzma grew up watching old Hardwood Classics — a collection of the greatest games in NBA history.

A self-described "basketball junkie," these tapes were Kuzma's first exposure to Magic Johnson: the Lakers legend, current President of Basketball Operations and favorite son of nearby Lansing, Michigan.

Magic was one of the men — along with Pelinka, Walton, Assistant General Manger & Director of Scouting Jesse Buss and Director of Player Personnel Ryan West — who interviewed Kuzma at the Combine.

And when Kuzma came to the Lakers' practice facility for a predraft workout about a week later, he just had to get a picture with Magic for Instagram.