Few rookies have captured the hearts and imagination of Lakers fans the way that Kyle Kuzma has. It didn’t take long for us to look at each other and wonder, “where the heck did this guy come from?!” Darius & I certainly did.

But the road to get here was as unlikely as they come. He was considered to be a 3-star prospect by several recruiting outlets, and wasn’t even on the radar for most Division 1 schools until his senior year of high school. After 3 seasons at the University of Utah, he was projected to be a mid-to-late 2nd round pick, before a scorching combine raised his stock to that of a borderline 1st round prospect.

In this episode of the Laker Film Room Podcast his mother, Karri Kuzma, takes us through her and Kyle’s journey. We discuss how their lives have changed since he joined the Lakers, how he was able to achieve his NBA dream against all odds, and go behind the scenes of the draft process that ended with him as a burgeoning, young star with the Lakers.