The team has relied on Max Strus and Duncan Robinson to handle the load at the power forward slot, but the team looks to be losing hope in their defensive powers as reports suggest the Heat are looking at trade suitors.

“Kyle Kuzma and Taj Gibson aren’t the only potential moves that the Heat have been linked to recently,” according to Heavy.com’s Thomas Darro. “Link them to PJ Washington from the Charlotte Hornets, as well as finalizing a reunion between Crowder and the Heat. But another has been Bojan Bogdanovic from the Detroit Pistons and Lauri Markkanen from the Utah Jazz.”

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Kuzma of the Washington Wizards is off to a fantastic start to the young season as he’s averaging 19.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, and a staggering shooting at 46.5 percent from the field and 40.0 percent from beyond the arc. His size and length could turn him into a problem under the talented Heat coaching staff, but Heat President Pat Riley always keeps the door open to other options.

Washington is a restricted free agent this upcoming off-season due to the inability to negotiate a contract extension. The Hornets may be focused on providing their star point guard LaMelo Ball an enormous deal for the 2024 season, leaving little cap space to work for Washington.

The Heat wouldn’t mind one-year rentals, especially when there’s a lot of talent that needs to be proven out of the group. The 24-year-old would add the floor spacing, agility, and defensive intangibles that much up well against star rivals like Jaylen Brown, Khris Middleton and Demar Derozan.

Finally, the reunion Heat fans would welcome with open arms. Not too long ago, Phoenix Suns’ Jae Crowder was part of the resilient 2020 Heat squad that, as a 5th seed, went six games against the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. The chemistry on display, both offensive and defensively, is in no way bound to be lost in just the two seasons apart.

With this possibly being his 10th straight playoff appearance, a reunion with the Heat opens the door to a final run at a championship.

The post REPORT: Heat Linked to Kyle Kuzma, P.J Washington, and Jae Crowder appeared first on SLAM.

“It’s going to mean a lot. Me and Kuz are already trying to picture what it’s going to be like,” Caldwell-Pope told NBA.com. “We know it’s going to be a lot of emotions because of the championship run we had with the team and our friends that are still there. There’s going to be a lot of emotion and a lot of fun.”

Since moving to Washington, Kuzma has become the third leading scorer on the Wizards, averaging 17.2 points and 8.7 rebounds per game on 45.7 percent shooting from the field. He’s looked at several times to be the Wizards’ second-best player after Bradley Beal. KCP has continued to thrive in his usual role as a Three-and-D threat, scoring 12.3 points per game on 39.1 percent shooting from deep.

“The team and organization really lean on me,” Kuzma said. “Everyone respects my basketball acumen here with being able to win a championship and to have winning habits. People respect that. On top of that, everybody believes in me. They really allow me to be myself. They want me to impact the game by doing it all. Having that confidence from everybody makes it easier for me.”

At this point of the season, the Wizards (29-35) and the Lakers (28-37) are fighting for a spot in the play-in tournament. Neither team expected to be in a position so late into the season after the Wizards were thought to be a playoff threat after GM Tommy Sheppards’ masterful orchestration of a Westbrook trade and acquiring Kuz KCP, Spencer Dinwiddie, Montrezl Harrell, and Aaron Holiday.

However, all but KCP and Kuz were moved at the deadline.

For the Lakers, they were believed to be a championship contender after acquiring Westbrook. The season has been full of drama and disaster as the Lakers have struggled just to stay at .500, let alone be a guarantee for a playoff spot. Blame has been spread everywhere to coaching, the front office, and the players themselves.

With all that being said, Kuzma described the return game as “we have to win that game” Kuzma also depicted the end of the LA trip as an “exciting time.” and Caldwell-Pope admitted he would have “some extra juice” when they play the Lakers on Thursday.

“I don’t really play the ‘what if,'” Kuzma said. “I’m cemented as a winner, and I’m cemented as a Lakers champion. For me, it’s not about ‘what if.’ It’s time to move on. It’s time to improve my game.”

“No hard feelings. I’m at peace,” Caldwell-Pope added. “I’m happy where I’m at.”

The post Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Have ‘No Hard Feelings’ About Trade to Wizards appeared first on SLAM.

“I am honored to represent this organization and tremendously grateful for the opportunity to continue building this team in order to use what we accomplish both on and off the court to uplift the community,” Sheppard said per ESPN. “Our staff, and their dedication to working together, has been essential to our success, and we will continue to work hard, follow our plan and make our fans proud of the team we put on the floor.”

Sheppard is in his 19th season with the organization. Before being named GM, he started as Vice President of Basketball Operations from 2003 to 2013, and then he became Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations from 2013 to 2019.

The Wizards are currently on a 10-4 start to the 2021-22 season, their best since the 1974-75 season when the then-Bullets made their first NBA Finals appearance but got swept by the Warriors.

The Wizards were one of the busiest teams in the offseason, hiring Wes Unseld Jr. as their new head coach and flipping Russell Westbrook to the Lakers for Montrezl Harrell, Kyle Kuzma, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and signing Spencer Dinwiddie.

The post Wizards GM Tommy Sheppard Earns Contract Extension After Team’s Fast Start appeared first on SLAM.

The improved record compared to the teams 3-8 start at this same point last season is primarily due to first-year head coach Wes Unseld Jr. bringing out the best of the Wiz on defense—they rank fourth in the League in defensive rating—and a balanced supporting cast and bench mob that looks to have made life easier for Bradley Beal.

One other significant factor in the Wizards’ fast start is the play of Kyle Kuzma, who is averaging 14.1 points and 9.1 boards on 43.4 percent shooting from the field. 

During Wednesday’s 97-94 win over the Cavaliers (7-5), Kuzma played a significant role in the victory, scoring 22 points and grabbing five rebounds. Kuzma made his biggest contributions in the fourth quarter, knocking down four three-pointers, including a wide-open bucket from the corner to cement the Wizards dub.

Kyle Kuzma’s 4th three of the 4th quarter WINS IT for the @WashWizards! pic.twitter.com/T4MhNm71se

— NBA (@NBA) November 11, 2021

Not only did the Wizards forward have a memorable performance, but he also made time to clap back at a Cavs fan who held up a sign that read: ‘LeBron Won Kuzma His RIng.” The trolling sign was apparently enough to poke the proverbial bear and seemed to have provided some motivation for Kuzma who was the subject of the Cavs fans jaw jacking.

“There was some hecklers during the game talking to me,” Kuzma said via CBS Sports. “… They had a sign that said ‘LeBron won Kuzma his ring.’ I said ‘without LeBron, Cleveland wouldn’t be sh–.’ They choose violence, I just kept going. They were talking too much. Unnecessary.” 

pic.twitter.com/p26dEu3nTT

— TO (@Tommy_Olesky) November 11, 2021

The Wizards and Kuzma are thriving beyond the expectations of many with a stellar record, and return to the court Saturday on the road against the Magic (3-9).

The post Kyle Kuzma Claps Back at Troll After Lifting Wizards to Win Over the Cavs appeared first on SLAM.

In an interview with Fubo Sports, Kuzma says he was “shocked” to be traded to the Wizards and thought for sure he was about to be traded to the Sacramento Kings.

Kuzma thought he was getting traded to Sacramento

(via @fuboSports) pic.twitter.com/HwB1jE739k

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 6, 2021

“I was kind of shocked, because I thought I was going to [Sacramento],” Kuzma said. “Like the Sacramento deal with Buddy Hield, that s*** was done. So I’m thinking in my head, like, ‘OK, [Sacramento], 45-minute flight. That’s not bad, I can go to Napa.’”

Despite the surprising move, Kuzma said he was happy to be heading to the Wizards and relished the opportunity to play with Bradley Beal.

Kuzma was part of a three-team trade that sent himself, Montrezl Harrell, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and the 22nd overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft to the Wizards. In return, the Lakers received Russell Westbrook and two second-round draft picks.

Kuzma had a solid season despite the Lakers’ troubles, averaging 12.9 points and 6.1 rebounds per game over the course of 68 games. He has played four seasons in the NBA, all with the Lakers, averaging 15.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.

The post Kyle Kuzma Says He Was ‘Shocked’ to be Traded to Wizards appeared first on SLAM.

According to reports from Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype, the Lakers “discussed” Kyle Kuzma and the No. 22 pick with the Indiana Pacers for the No. 13 pick and salary filler but were “turned down.”

Kuzma and the Lakers’ 22nd pick was also discussed with the Pacers. The talks centered around acquiring the 13th overall pick from Indiana and needed salary filler but was turned down, HoopsHype has learned.

J. Michael of the Indy Star confirmed the report due to the fact that TJ Warren was getting healthy and will be ready for next season.

This is accurate. TJ Warren is healthy so they declined Kuz. Lakers have been hustling to jump into the lottery to get ahead of the Wizards https://t.co/ozto9dFRAZ

— J. Michael (@ThisIsJMichael) July 27, 2021

It is unknown who the Pacers player would have been for a salary filler, however. Some believed it could have been Warren because the salaries matched, but that could be unlikely due to his performance in the NBA bubble in Orlando. Others believed it could be Jeremy Lamb, who Indiana is shopping around the NBA.

Kuzma averaged 12.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists a game for the Los Angeles Lakers this past season.

The post Lakers Reportedly Offered Kyle Kuzma, No. 22 Pick to Pacers appeared first on SLAM.

Charania initially reported that the Lakers are “pursuing a third stellar player who provides playmaking and shot creation” around their two bonafide superstars. In Sunday’s Inside Pass with Shams, the basketball world learned the Lakers and Sacramento Kings have engaged in trade talks surrounding Buddy Hield.

The Lakers and Kings have discussed a trade centered around Buddy Hield, per @ShamsCharania

Kyle Kuzma would likely be involved in any potential package. pic.twitter.com/r5PEFDVqia

— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) July 25, 2021

The Lakers would be forced to trade forward Kyle Kuzma to get the deal done, a young scorer who has been thrown around in trade talks for weeks. However, landing Hield would certainly boost the Lakers overall playmaking potential and backcourt fire, with only 3-and-D wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope returning from last year’s roster.

Heading into his sixth NBA season, Hield is coming off a solid year with the Kings that saw him average 16.6 points and 4.7 rebounds in 71 games.

The post Lakers and Kings Discuss Possible Buddy Hield, Kyle Kuzma Trade appeared first on SLAM.

In an interview with Bleacher Report’s Tyler Conway, Kuzma says that he “definitely” believes he has All-Star talent.

“I definitely can. I definitely believe that, too. I don’t really care what nobody thinks or says. I know myself, and I know my ability. It’s hard to be consistent in an inconsistent role. I’m excited for a more consistent space next year,” Kuzma said.

Since being drafted in 2017, Kuzma has shown flashes of All-Star scoring numbers, but they haven’t been consistent up to this point of his career. In four seasons with the Lakers, Kuzma is averaging 15.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.

As the Lakers improved, Kuzma’s role and scoring numbers diminished somewhat. After averaging 18.7 points per game in his second season, Kuzma only averaged 12.8 points per game the next two seasons.

The Lakers may need Kuzma to take a step as well, as the 2020-21 season didn’t go as plan for Los Angeles. The Lakers finished seventh in the Western Conference, just barely sneaking into the playoffs only to lose to the Phoneix Suns in the first round.

The post Kyle Kuzma Confident in All-Star Ability appeared first on SLAM.

Last night, before their matchup against the Houston Rockets, the Los Angeles Lakers had the chance to remind everyone who the true champions were. Finally unveiling their 17th championship banner from last season’s sensational postseason run, sweet glory filled the arena for the historic franchise and its fans.

“We had our ring night; we wanted you guys there, but we wanted to make sure we saved the banner for y’all,” said Lakers superstar LeBron James.

It looks like the ceremony made the team even more hungrier than before, especially noting that they’re still able to clinch one of the top-six seeds in the playoffs, avoiding the play-in tournament!

*Wipes sweat from forehead*

This feat would definitely make late Lakers legend Kobe Bryant proud.

The Lakers took advantage of the night and grabbed a two-in-one, defeating the Rockets (124-122) in the process. Talen Horton-Tucker had himself a night, finishing the game with 23 points and 10 assists, to go with Kyle Kuzma’s 19 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. Veteran center Andre Drummond pitched-in and had 20 points with 10 rebounds.

Los Angeles will face the Indiana Pacers on May 15 at 1:00 PM (EST).

The post Los Angeles Lakers Unveil 2020 Championship Banner appeared first on SLAM.

As first reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Kuzma agreed to a three-year, $40 million deal that will keep him in Los Angeles potentially through the 2023-24 season. In that final year of his deal, Kuzma will have a player option which would allow him to test free agency in the summer of 2023 should he choose.

Kuzma, the No. 27 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, has spent his entire career with the Lakers, starting in 114 games while averaging 16.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per contest.

They Lakers have now locked up LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Kuzma to long-term deals this offseason. Not only are the reigning champions going to be great this upcoming season but are positioning the franchise for success over the next several years as well.

The post Lakers Extend Kyle Kuzma on Three-Year Deal appeared first on SLAM.

Rose has one year, $7.7 million left on his team-friendly contract, making the 32-year-old a prime target for a win-now team like the Lakers.

Although they were reluctant to trade Rose before the deadline, the Pistons reportedly had interest in acquiring Flint-native Kyle Kuzma.

L.A. could be open to trading Kuzma, who will hit restricted free agency after next season. The Lakers hope to maintain enough cap space to make a run at Giannis Antetokounmpo or Bradley Beal in 2021 free agency, reports Deveney.

In 50 games for the Pistons last season, Rose averaged 18.1 points (49.0 FG%) with 5.6 assists.

The post NBA GM: Derrick Rose Trade To Lakers ‘Much More Likely Now’ appeared first on SLAM.

Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma told reporters on Wednesday that his team didn’t take any satisfaction in the Clippers getting eliminated.

“We’re not focused on the Clippers and we never really were,” Kuzma said. “It’s all about who’s in front of you. When you focus on other teams instead of taking care of your food, I mean shit happens like that.

“So for us, we’ve always focused on us, and then focused on Portland, focused on Houston and controlled what we can control as a team. Now our focus is on Denver.”

It seems as though the Lakers as a collective have been studying and staying focused on what matters most to them: the team.

Tonight, the Lakers and the Denver Nuggets will face off in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.

—

Charlie Desadier is an intern at SLAM. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

The post Kyle Kuzma: Lakers Were ‘Never Focused’ on the Clippers appeared first on SLAM.

Former Sierra Canyon hooper L Simpson, aka LBoogz, is the host of SLAM’s newest big production. Episode 1 (above) features Los Angeles Laker Kyle Kuzma and members of the USC basketball squad. Future guests include Gilbert Arenas, Yo Gotti, Montrezl Harrell and many more. Peep a trailer for the full series below:

Subscribe to the show here and stay tuned for the rest of the season!

The post Watch Episode 1 of THE SLAM SHOW, Featuring Kyle Kuzma + USC 🍿 appeared first on SLAM.

The Lakers dealt away nearly all of their young prospects in the Davis trade, sending former top-2 picks Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram along with Josh Hart to the Pelicans.

Isaac Bonga and Moritz Wagner received a trip to Washington in order to facilitate the deal but through it all Kuzma remained in purple and gold.

While it doesn’t seem like a third star is in the cards for Los Angeles before Thursday, the Kuzma trade chatter hasn’t ceased since the Lakers’ big offseason. 

Sacramento reportedly had interest in Kuzma, though it’s unclear where those talks currently stand. The Kings proposed an offer of Nemanja Bjelica and an additional asset while the Lakers were set on obtaining Bodgan Bogdanovic. 

The Knicks had exploratory talks recently with the Lakers over bringing Kuzma to New York. Perhaps Marcus Morris would intrigue the Lakers, though the two players’ salaries do not align and other pieces would need be involved.

The situation is worth monitoring given that Kuzma is represented by CAA and the Knicks have a long history of catering to the agency’s clients.

The Wolves have interest in the former No. 27 overall, though the team views pursuing D’Angelo Russell as a higher priority. Minnesota just agreed to a four-team trade that brought them an additional asset: a first-round pick, that the franchise would like to use in a deal for Russell.

While Kuzma’s 2019-20 numbers are down from last year when he was a more prominent part of the offense, the 24-year-old has had a consistent role off the bench for Los Angeles this season. He’s averaging 25.0 minutes per game off the bench for the ultra-competitive Lakers.

The post Kyle Kuzma Awaits Fate Ahead Of Trade Deadline appeared first on SLAM.

“We have enough right now,” James told reporters Thursday night in Brooklyn when asked about next month’s trade deadline.

LeBron finished with 27 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists for his 10th triple-double of the season, leading Los Angeles to a 128-113 road win against the Nets.

Per The AP:

LeBron James is on his way to Philadelphia, set to pass Kobe Bryant on the NBA’s career scoring list in the former Lakers star’s hometown.

“Any time I am linked with the greats or I am able to do something in my career where I’m mentioned with the greats is a pretty cool thing,” James said. “But as far as looking at the scoring, I don’t know. That doesn’t mean much to me.

“Just the overall point of my game is what means more to me: being an all-around player, being able to be successful on the floor and being able to contribute to the franchises that I played for, the three franchises I played for so far in my career.”

James has 33,626 points. Bryant finished with 33,643.

Related Kobe Bryant: LeBron James Playing With a ‘Chip on His Shoulder’

The post LeBron James: Lakers ‘Have Enough Right Now’ appeared first on SLAM.

Houston won in a blowout despite 11 TOs from James Harden. The Rockets outscored the Wolves by 14 in the second quarter to take a 16-point lead into halftime, and led by as much as 41 during the fourth.

James Harden dropped a game-high 32 points with 12 boards and 8 dimes. Russell Westbrook added 30 points and 10 dimes.

Pelicans 105 (14-26, Celtics 140 (26-11)

Boston dominated from the first quarter, taking a 17-point lead into the second. The Celtics would grow the lead to as much as 37 points during the third quarter.

Jayson Tatum need just three quarters to drop a career-high 41 points on 16-22 shooting.

Bulls 108 (14-26), Pistons 99 (14-26)

After taking the lead with 4:36 left in the first quarter, Chicago wouldn’t trail for the rest of the game, eventually snapping a 6-game losing streak.

Zach LaVine dropped a game-high 25 points with 6 dimes.

Lakers 125 (32-7), Thunder 110 (22-17)

No LeBron, AD and Danny Green, no problem. The Lakers led the entire game, and by as much as 32 points during the third quarter.

Kyle Kuzma dropped a game-high 36 points with 7 boards. Rajon Rondo added 21 points with 12 boards and 8 dimes.

The Lakers have won 8 straight games.

Sixers 91 (25-15), Mavs 109 (24-15)

Dallas outscored the Joel Embiid-less Sixers by 27 points during the second half.

Luka Doncic dropped a team-high 19 points with 12 dimes and 8 boards. Dwight Powell added 19 points with 12 boards.

Cavs 111 (12-27), Nuggets 103 (26-12)

Cleveland blew a 17-point fourth quarter lead, but was able to hold on when it mattered most.

Kevin Love dropped 19 points with 15 boards. Collin Sexton added a game-high 25 points.

Bucks 122 (35-6), Blazers 101 (16-24)

Milwaukee took the lead with 6:25 left in the first quarter, and did not trail for the rest of the game. The Bucks would go up by as much as 25 points during the fourth quarter.

Giannis Antetokounmpo dropped a game-high 32 points with 17 boards and 6 dimes. Khris Middleton added 30 points on 11-17 shooting.

The post Post Up: Lakers Rout Thunder Without LeBron, Anthony Davis appeared first on SLAM.

Sacramento would need to include Bogdan Bogdanovic to make the deal palatable.

Kuzma, 24, told reporters that trade rumors are an accepted part of life when playing in Los Angeles.

Per The Sac Bee:

A league source told The Sacramento Bee the Kings are unlikely to trade Bogdanovic for Kuzma. The Kings value Bogdanovic’s versatility and they are comfortable with having the right to match any offers for him if he becomes a restricted free agent this summer. Bogdanovic has missed six games due to hamstring and ankle injuries this season. The Kings are 0-6 in those contests.

The Kings have until June 30 to re-sign Bogdanovic, who is eligible for a four-year deal worth up to $51.4 million, or he will become a restricted free agent. Bogdanovic, 27, would likely attract bigger offers in free agency. The Kings would have the right to match any offers he receives.

Bogdanovic told The Bee in October the Kings offered him the maximum extension, but he has yet to accept their offer.

“I would like to stay,” Bogdanovic said. “Everyone knows that I love Sacramento. Everyone loves to be here. It’s a great group of guys. I’m happy right now and I was happy all these years, but I don’t want to rush anything.”

Related Kyle Kuzma Addresses Trainer’s Criticism of LeBron James

The post Report: Sacramento Kings Interested in Kyle Kuzma appeared first on SLAM.

But despite general manager Rob Pelinka’s ties to the former 27th overall pick, he has a mission to surround Davis and LeBron James with a strong enough supporting cast to contend for a championship this season and beyond.

A report from The Athletic’s Sam Amick suggests that the Lakers are willing to listen to pitches for the Flint native and it’s not hard to see why. While Kuzma has struggled with a number of injuries this season, he’s also been supplanted from the starting lineup and forced to adjust to a new role.

That new role – as a tertiary offensive option playing nearly 10 fewer minutes per game – isn’t likely to change so long as Davis and James are on the roster.

Kuzma is averaging 12.1 points per game this season, down from 18.7 in 2018-19 and some advanced metrics suggest that the club is better with him off the floor than on it.

Still, Kuzma is a tantalizing, young asset and that’s why, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, teams are doing their due diligence to gauge L.A.’s interest in a potential swap even if the Lakers are reluctant to make a major move.

Kuzma’s has two years left on his incredibly cheap rookie contract – he makes $2.0M in 2019-20 and just $3.6M next year – but it won’t be long before Pelinka and company need to start thinking long and hard about a potential extension. He’ll be eligible to sign one this summer.

Related: Kuz Addresses Trainer’s Criticism Of LeBron

The post Report: Lakers Willing To Listen To Kyle Kuzma Offers appeared first on SLAM.

Kuzma also spoke to his teammate about the social media incident, and told reporters he disagreed with the trainer’s opinion.

James said he “could care less” about the comments.

Per The LA Times:

Kyle Kuzma’s trainer, Clint Parks, posted messages on Instagram that were critical of James in comparison to Kawhi Leonard, whom Parks also trained. Social media buzzed with suggestions of a rift between the two Lakers. Kuzma approached James on Friday to distance himself from the comments.

“I just told him that I can’t control what another man says,” Kuzma said. “Obviously I don’t feel that way. Everybody knows that me and LeBron have a great relationship.”

James said of Parks: “I’ve never met the guy, I don’t know the guy, I could care less about the guy.”

Kuzma said multiple times Saturday morning that he didn’t care about all the chatter over the incident. On Saturday night, he produced a dominant first half, scoring 20 points, which he said had nothing to do with the social media kerfuffle.

Related Kyle Kuzma: ‘A Lot of People Are Probably Jealous of Us’

The post Kyle Kuzma Addresses Trainer’s Criticism of LeBron James appeared first on SLAM.

Having beaten racked up several impressive road wins, after enjoying a light early-season schedule, Los Angeles is now starting to crow about its League-leading play.

Led by Anthony Davis‘ season-high 50 points, The Purple and Gold moved to 10-2 at home (and 21-3 overall) with a 142-125 Sunday night blowout of the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves.

Per The Athletic:

“Everybody is just going to say something about us just because we’re the Lakers and we’re winning,” Kyle Kuzma said. “A lot of people are probably jealous of us.”

As a reporter asked Kuzma whether that skepticism had served as motivational fuel for the Lakers, at the next locker over [Dwight] Howard grimaced and rolled his shoulders in a disbelieving shrug, as though to ask how that could even be a question.

“We’ve played a lot of teams. We played a lot of tough road games,” Kuzma said. “It’s tough to win in San Antonio, tough to win in Denver, tough to win in Utah, tough to win in Dallas.”

Things were supposed to get tougher. Not breezier.

“When you’re the No. 1 team in the league, people are going to find a way to come out and shoot a higher field-goal percentage than what they normally shoot, find ways to make plays, to get stops, play harder and we got to embrace that,” Davis said.

Related Kyle Kuzma: ‘I’m Still Going to Get My Game Off Regardless’

The post Kyle Kuzma: ‘A Lot of People Are Probably Jealous of Us’ appeared first on SLAM.

Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet reports that the Lakers opted not to play Kuzma after he suffered the abrasion but notes that the medical team technically did clear him for a return if needed.

Kuzma took an accidental elbow directly to the right eye during during the team’s Tuesday night victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder and was bleeding around his eye and nose.

While there’s no official declaration about Kuzma’s status heading forward, the fact that he was technically cleared to return to the contest in which the injury occurred bodes well for Lakers fans.

Kuzma has averaged 13.1 points and 3.9 rebounds in the ten games since he returned from a stress reaction in his foot.

The post Kyle Kuzma Avoids Serious Damage After Eye Injury appeared first on SLAM.

The Lakers have been without third-year forward Kyle Kuzma throughout training camp, preseason and the first week of the regular season. It’s possible, however, that the 24-year-old could return to action during the Lakers’ upcoming road trip.

According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, Kuzma could potentially return over the course of L.A.’s road trip scheduled from Friday to Tuesday.

Kuzma has been sidelined with a stress reaction in his left foot since FIBA World Cup play in the offseason and, as we wrote previously, the Lakers were wise to proceed cautiously. A stress reaction if left unchecked can turn into a stress fracture which would come with a significantly longer recovery timeline.

Kuzma’s return to action, whether that comes before next Tuesday or not, could push Danny Green from small forward to shooting guard and Avery Bradley to the bench.

The post Kyle Kuzma Returns From Stress Reaction In Foot appeared first on SLAM.

If not treated appropriately, a stress reaction can turn into a stress fracture which would keep Kuzma out of action for even longer. For that reason, Kuzma will be shelved at the start of training camp and will undergo an MRI when the team returns from its preseason trip abroad.

The Lakers will return from China on October 13 and an MRI conducted then will reveal the next steps for Kuzma’s rehabilitation.

Kuzma averaged 18.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game for the Lakers last season and is intent on establishing himself as the deadly third option the team could benefit from behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

As Ganguli outlines in her feature, the Lakers were adamant about keeping Kuzma through the process of trading for Davis, it only makes sense that they’re being as cautious as possible when navigating this foot injury.

The post Kyle Kuzma Sidelined Through Mid-October With Foot Injury appeared first on SLAM.

The forward from Flint, MI, scored consistently from all three levels during FIBA World Cup training and had strong performances in both exhibition matches.

Peep all of Kuz’s summer highlights with USA Basketball in the video above!

RELATED: Kyle Kuzma Opens USA Practice in his HOME Gym!

The post Kyle Kuzma Shows ELITE Potential at USA Training Camp! 🇺🇸 appeared first on SLAM.

O’Neal says he wishes Howard well, this despite their long-standing and mostly one-sided feud, and believes the 33-year-old has a chance to win a title with the Lakers next season should he “stop kidding around.”

Per The Dan Patrick Show (via USA Today):

“Listen, I wish him well,” O’Neal said. “My only advice to him is he needs to dig, dig deep. Really deep. I know he’s a big man, he’s worked hard, he wants to win a championship, and he can get it done.

” … My message to the great Dwight Howard is, I know everybody’s counting you out. I know everybody’s messing with you. But if you dig deep down and play with that anger, and play with that ferocity, and stop kidding around … Use LeBron [James] and Kyle Kuzma, because you’ve actually got a good team.

“In Miami, I was 34, same as Dwight. On my way out. People thought I was washed up when I left L.A., but I dug deep down. I said ‘you know what? I can do this.’ If he does everything like he’s supposed to do – focus, no joking, no playing – just dig deep down and really, really want it, they could possibly win.”

Dwight, meanwhile, believes Shaq’s words are “irrelevant” to what he’s trying to accomplish in his return to Los Angeles.

Per TMZ:

“It’s okay, I’m not here to talk about Shaq,” Howard said in an Instagram Live post late Wednesday. “What he said, what he did. It’s irrelevant to what I’m trying to do.

“So, don’t talk to me about what anybody else said about me. My focus is on one thing.”

Related Dwight Howard Reportedly Told the Lakers He Hit ‘Rock Bottom’ Last Season

The post Shaquille O’Neal: Dwight Howard ‘Needs to Dig, Dig Deep’ appeared first on SLAM.

Check out some more Team USA highlights below.

The post Kyle Kuzma Opens USA Practice in his HOME Gym! 🇺🇸 appeared first on SLAM.

Peep the video above for all the highlights. And be sure to check our Instagram video to watch De’Aaron Fox and Kuzma put on a dunk show!

RELATED: Donovan Mitchell Grabs HUGE Dunk!? USA Practice Gets HEATED

The post Anthony Davis Watches USA Practice in Las Vegas!? 🇺🇸 appeared first on SLAM.

Kuzma, 24, is determined to be “that third guy” for the Lakers.

The third-year forward has “high dreams” playing alongside LeBron James and fellow superstar teammate Anthony Davis.

Per The Athletic:

“Bench, whatever, I’m still going to get my game off regardless,” Kuzma told The Athletic. “My past two years, I’ve come off the bench every single year. I just proved myself and made it known that I’m a player. A coach’s job is always to put the best players on the court, and that’s what I’ve showed the past two years.

“I’ve started the year coming off the bench, and just prove myself. I’m always going to find my way no matter who’s on the court. I think every time I step on the court, I’m one of the better players on the floor. For me that’s always been my mentality. I’m never worried about things that I can’t control.

“My mindset develops every single day being around guys, having a relationship with LeBron. That gives me more confidence, the wisdom that he gives. Being around Magic Johnson and Kobe [Bryant]. Everybody. It grows and grows, matures and creates that mindset that defines you.”

Once Leonard decided he would not be part of a Big 3 with the Lakers, an opening emerged — for which Kuzma believes he has prepared himself.

“My motivation is there to be that third guy,” Kuzma said, “for the simple fact that playing with LeBron, with AD, I got high dreams for myself to do some pretty special things in my career. So that’s motivation in itself. It’s a testament to my work ethic and laying down the groundwork for my past two years being in the league. From an individual standpoint, I have to focus on myself. I’ve had a chip on my shoulder my entire career, so I’m ready just from that standpoint. It won’t change.”

Related Kyle Kuzma: ‘I Am Capable’ of Being Third Superstar for Lakers

The post Kyle Kuzma: ‘I’m Still Going to Get My Game Off Regardless’ appeared first on SLAM.

“I don’t feel no pressure,” says Kuzma, who averaged 18.7 points and 5.5 rebounds last season.

The third-year forward adds that he thinks Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram—both dealt to the Pelicans in the AD blockbuster swap—will “develop into the superstars they were supposed to be” in New Orleans.

Per ESPN:

“I don’t feel no pressure, but I believe that I am capable of being that superstar,” Kuzma told ESPN. “I put in a lot of work in. My progress through my journey shows that I can be there. I developed every single year, dating back to college and I don’t see that development stunting at all.”

Kuzma added, “Last year I didn’t shoot the ball well, and I still averaged almost 20. If I can shoot the ball well and keep developing the facets of my game defensively, I don’t see why I can’t [be that third star].”

Kuzma, who saw his 3-point shooting dip from 36.6% as a rookie to 30.3% last season, believes he fits in seamlessly alongside James and Davis.

“I’ve never been a ball-dominant guy,” Kuzma said. “I’ve always played off the ball. It is going to be a little bit easier, going to have a lot of open shots. It is my job to trust my summer workouts and what I’ve done. Just breathe, focus and knock those shots down, because I’m going to be open.”

Related DeMarcus Cousins: Los Angeles Lakers ‘Roster is Incredible’

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Cousins, 28, inked a one-year, $3.5 million deal: he says the Lakers “look legit” on paper and should be NBA title contenders next season.

Boogie reports that his “quad is 100 percent healed,” and is especially thrilled to re-unite with Anthony Davis and join forces with fellow superstar LeBron James.

Per ESPN:

“That’s part of the reason why we wanted to become teammates again,” Cousins said of teaming up with Davis on a conference call with Lakers media Wednesday. “We realized how much better we made one another and how much we made the game easier for each other. We both appreciate each other’s presence.

“To add LeBron James to the mix, his résumé speaks for itself. One of the greatest players ever to play the game, added to that, it should be an exciting season.”

With the Lakers surrounding James and Davis with the likes of Kyle Kuzma, Danny Green, Avery Bradley, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, JaVale McGee, [Rajon] Rondo, Quinn Cook and Jared Dudley, Cousins sees a powerful squad.

“The roster is incredible,” said Cousins, who could start at center with Davis at power forward. “I think we got a lot of talented pieces on paper. On paper we look legit, we look like we have a great chance of competing for a title. It’s obvious that the game isn’t played on paper. It’s our job to come together and mesh and get on the same page and build a chemistry and go out and win games. As far as on paper, we look great.”

Related Report: LeBron James to Play Point Guard for the Lakers

The post DeMarcus Cousins: Los Angeles Lakers ‘Roster is Incredible’ appeared first on SLAM.

James, 34, had designs on playing closer to the basket in 2018-19, but head coach Frank Vogel is said to want him to initiate the Purple and Gold’s offensive attack.

Free agent acquisition Danny Green is expected to start in the backcourt alongside ‘Bron.

Per Yahoo Sports:

The new-look Los Angeles Lakers are heading into the 2019-20 season with the intention of starting LeBron James at point guard, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

James, 34, will be entering his 17th NBA season and is prepared to become the floor general in an effort to maximize a roster that’s suddenly built to contend for a championship with the addition of All-Star forward Anthony Davis and a few complementary pieces.

James was limited to a career-low 55 games in his first season with the Lakers because of a groin injury, but he has since recovered and is in great shape with no restrictions, sources said.

With the league being so point-guard driven, head coach Frank Vogel will look to unleash another element of James’ game.

Related Anthony Davis: Teaming Up With LeBron James ‘Something That’s Special’

The post Report: LeBron James to Play Point Guard for the Lakers appeared first on SLAM.

It’s a proverb that rings its truth every day in the NBA.

Players around the League stepped up their game in the tunnel this season, so we added on a third team. It’s important to recognize progress, too, so we also mixed in a most-improved award to show love to the hooper who stepped up his tunnel walk the most in 2018-2019.

Anyways, we can skip to what you’re here for: This year’s LeagueFits All-Drip Teams and Awards.

THIRD TEAM: Dwayne Bacon, Ben Simmons, Dennis Schroder, Jordan Clarkson, Serge Ibaka

Three players made their All-Drip debuts in Dwayne Bacon, Ben Simmons and Dennis Schroder.

SECOND TEAM: Terry Rozier, Tobias Harris, Kevin Love, Kyle Kuzma, Mike Scott

Kyle Kuzma built upon his Rookie of the Year award from a year ago by making the jump to the Second Team. Tobias Harris and Mike Scott also made their All-Drip debuts.

FIRST TEAM: Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Kelly Oubre, PJ Tucker, Shai GIlgeous-Alexander

No surprises here. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander became the first rookie in LeaugeFits history to make an All-Drip Team.

MOST-IMPROVED: Dennis Schroder

One time for the #EuroDrip icon.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

No one rook should have all this power.

MVP: Kelly Oubre

Waves never die.

—

Ian Pierno is an Associate Social Media Editor and Drip Director at SLAM. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter.

Pat Bonoan is a Graphic Designer at SLAM. Follow him on Instagram.

Photos via Getty Images.

The post The 2019 LeagueFits All-Drip Teams are STACKED appeared first on SLAM.

Additionally: Ganguli, along with Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times, writes that the Lakers could potentially keep the No. 4 if they parted with Kuzma.

Update #2, 4:34 pm: The Pelicans would like Kyle Kuzma in a trade package from the Lakers but Los Angeles has thus far been unwilling to deal him, Tania Gangulis of The Los Angeles Times reports.

Update #1, 4:28 pm: The Lakers have made available Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball and the No. 4 pick to the Pelicans, Marc Stein of the New York Times reports. The Pelicans have made it known that they hope to include a third team to maximize their yield.

The Lakers and Celtics are engaged in separate trade talks with the Pelicans regarding Anthony Davis, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.

While the news that all parties are interested in a deal isn’t exactly groundbreaking, the fact that the Lakers could be offering up their No. 4 pick as a means of helping the Pels land higher caliber talent in a multi-team deal is.

Still, Wojnarowski adds in a subsequent tweet, the Celtics and Lakers are both gunning to be the team that lands Davis, neither willing to cooperate to help the other team acquire him.

We wrote earlier this week about the trade haul that Pelicans vice president of basketball operations David Griffin reportedly sought in a Davis deal and there’s no guarantee that either Los Angeles or Boston would (or could) offer all of the assets necessary to get it done.

The Pels would like to land an All-Star, a young player with the potential to be an All-Star and a pair of first-round picks in exchange for their star center.

Wojnarowski clarified in another tweet that the Celtics remain interested in Davis despite Davis’ agent Rich Paul stating emphatically in a recent Sports Illustrated feature that his client will hit free agency in the summer of 2020.

The No. 4 pick that the Lakers are apparently making available in trade talks is the first pick in this year’s draft without a consensus player attached to it.

While several outlets suggest that the Lakers could use such a pick on point guard Darius Garland, the math may change if that pick were to end up in the hands of a different franchise. Garland, like Davis and Lakers star LeBron James, is a client of Paul’s.

Other players that could potentially go fourth-overall include the likes of Jarrett Culver and De’Andre Hunter.

The post Celtics, Lakers Engage Pels In Separate Anthony Davis Trade Talks appeared first on SLAM.

James said afterwards that he will “not cheat the game” and continue to play hard no matter how poorly things have gone this season.

Kyle Kuzma caught fire in the third quarter, scoring 21 of his 29 points on 7-of-8 shooting.

Per The LA Times:

“I’ve always respected the basketball gods,” James said. “If I’m on the floor I’ve got to try to play as hard as I can, or do something to affect the game and not cheat the game, so if I’m on the floor, if I’m in uniform, then I’ve got to try to make things happen. Not saying I’m going to make every shot, not saying I’m going to make every play or not have any turnovers, but just try to make an impact on the game.”

The Lakers played without Lonzo Ball (ankle sprain), Brandon Ingram (blood clot), Josh Hart (tendinitis) Mike Muscala (tendinitis) and Reggie Bullock (plantar fasciitis). And while little was at stake in the grand scheme of things, there were small moments for the players who did play to celebrate.

JaVale McGee followed up his career-best 33-point, 20-rebound game by scoring 17 points, making all eight of his shots, with 14 rebounds.

“It’s just nice to feel good,” coach Luke Walton said. “I mean the guys work really hard, they do. They’ve been working really hard on this last road trip. They’ve been working really hard when we do bring them into practice, though we’re down in bodies. We’re on them all the time about working to a certain standard. That’s physically and mentally tough at this point in the season when you’re out of the playoffs.”

The post LeBron James Notches Triple-Double in Win vs Sacramento appeared first on SLAM.

Bryant says the Los Angeles Lakers shouldn’t hesitate to give up their young core for AD.

Kobe adds that Davis is one of the best players in NBA history.

Per the Spanish sports outlet AS.com (translated via reddit):

Do you think the Anthony Davis situation misled the franchise and the players?

Kobe Bryant: “I say no. [Kyle] Kuzma, Lonzo [Ball], [Brandon] Ingram… are the three of them better than Anthony Davis? No! Ciao! Bye! Anthony Davis is one of the best players in the world. Not currently, in history. What are we talking about? If you can trade for Anthony Davis, you do it. If not, alright. We have three players who are very young and work hard. They’re smart and they have to develop. But if you can trade for Anthony Davis… yes!”

Related Jeanie Buss: Lakers’ Reported Pursuit of Anthony Davis ‘Fake News’

The post Kobe Bryant: ‘If You Can Trade for Anthony Davis, You Do it’ appeared first on SLAM.

No other NBA team relys on inexperienced players to the degree the Lakers do, according to James.

LeBron is the only vet who inked a long-term deal last summer for the Purple and Gold, and they failed to land another big-time free agent or pull off a blockbuster trade prior to last month’s deadline.

Per The LA Times:

“You have four guys in our top eight rotation that you have to really rely on, and it’s unfair to them to ask for so much when they’re in their second or third year,” James said. “We have Zo [Lonzo Ball], Josh [Hart], Kuz [Kyle Kuzma] and B.I. [Brandon Ingram]. And we had Zu [Ivica Zubac] at the time. That’s like five out of our top nine guys that we rely on, and they’re in their first and second year. You can’t find one other team in our league right now that has to rely on that much every single night from their young guys that’s in their first or second year.”

When James signed, he said he understood many of his teammates weren’t at a point in their careers yet where they could be key pieces for a championship contender. The stark reality of the season likely ending without a playoff berth has felt starker for James.

Further complicating matters were a groin injury that kept James out for five weeks and a trade deadline that caused unrest in the locker room as the Lakers aggressively tried to trade for Anthony Davis, offering all of their young players in different packages.

“It’s unfair to those guys for us to continue to — we want them to learn, we want them to learn, we want them to learn — I want them to learn,” James said. “But also we have to understand that they’re young as well and they’re going to make mistakes. You just try to limit the mistakes as much as possible. You look at all of the 16 teams right now, the best teams in our league right now, just look at the guys they rely on every single night to be able to come through for them. If they have a young guy it’s probably one or two of them. So it’s been tough on us. It’s been tough on us.”

Related Kyle Kuzma: ‘Obviously There’s Something Wrong With This Team’

The post LeBron James: Lakers Rely Too Much on Young Players appeared first on SLAM.

Kuzma says he is “not really sure right now” how to right the ship in Los Angeles.

LeBron James didn’t want to “heap negativity” following the brutal loss to the Suns.

Per The LA Times and AP:

“Obviously there’s something wrong with this team, and it’s up to us to try to fix it,” Kyle Kuzma said. “But not really sure right now.”

The four-time league MVP was frustrated at times with Phoenix’s defense and his team’s inability to hang with the NBA’s worst team.

But, as he has so many times, James tried to lead the Lakers back.

“We needed this game for obvious reasons,” said James, who had 27 points, 16 assists and nine rebounds. “It is just unfortunate with the opportunities we’ve had that we haven’t been able to seize the opportunity.”

Related LeBron James: ‘I Feel Good About Where We Are’

The post Kyle Kuzma: ‘Obviously There’s Something Wrong With This Team’ appeared first on SLAM.

Teammate Jayson Tatum added 30 points (including six made 3-pointers) and nine rebounds to the winning effort.

Fellow Team USA guard Trae Young dazzled with several nutmegs on the night; he finished with a double-double of 25 points and 10 assists.

Team World was led by Ben Simmons’ 28 points and Lauri Markkanen’s 21 points.

Possible Rookie of the Year Luka Doncic deferred to his teammates most of the night, scoring 13 points and racking up nine assists.

Ben Simmons dropping the (via @sixers) pic.twitter.com/KKWf6432zk

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) February 16, 2019

John Collins goes 360 off a Trae Young oop. SHEESH (via @ATLHawks) pic.twitter.com/qwuLkcUoZs

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) February 16, 2019

A SECOND nutmeg for Trae (via @ATLHawks) pic.twitter.com/mRMTekOGSa

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) February 16, 2019

Rising Stars MVP. Salute, @kylekuzma pic.twitter.com/gJtTgQs9nq

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) February 16, 2019

RELATED:
Kyle Kuzma Talks Favorite Jerseys, Playing with LeBron James and More

The post Post Up: Kyle Kuzma Wins MVP as Team USA Beats Team World in Rising Stars Challenge appeared first on SLAM.

in the Lakers first offer to the Pelicans for Anthony Davis, LA offered Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Rajon Rondo, Michael Beasley and a first-round pick, league sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 2, 2019

An offer including only two out of the Lakers young core of Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, Josh Hart and Ivica Zubac must have been underwhelming for the Pelicans, who believed the offers were “lowball”, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania.

Sources: The Lakers have yet to place all of their assets on the table as the Pelicans listen on offers for Anthony Davis. "Lowball," one source said. Davis hasn't been cleared from his fractured left finger, but is close to a return to action.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 2, 2019

A good negotiator never extends his best offer early, and the Lakers two reported rivals in the Davis sweepstakes have taken a step back recently. The Knicks traded away their most valuable asset in Kristaps Porzingis on Thursday, while Anthony Davis Sr lambasted the way Boston treated former guard Isaiah Thomas in a text to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne.

“Boston…I would never want my son to play for Boston after what they done to Isaiah Thomas…NO LOYALTY…guy gives his heart and soul and they traded him…anyone can print that,” Davis Sr said.

RELATED:
Anthony Davis On Trade Request: ‘It’s My Time’

The post Report: Lakers First Offer For Anthony Davis Revealed appeared first on SLAM.

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A post shared by House of Highlights (@houseofhighlights) on Jan 17, 2019 at 9:15pm PST

LeBron James, who was not on the road trip due to a groin strain, chimed in questioning the call.

So what really is “in the shooting motion” rule?!?!? Asking for a friend @OfficialNBARefs

— LeBron James (@KingJames) January 18, 2019

Led by Kyle Kuzma‘s game-high 32 points, the Los Angeles Lakers beat OKC 138-128 in the extra session.

Per the AP:

“Upon being able to see the review of the play, we realized that the illegal contact happened prior to his upward motion, so it should have been a side-out,” [NBA crew chief Tom] Washington said.

Ball took responsibility for the situation.

“It’s my fault that he hit the free throws,” he said. “Maybe I should have fouled him earlier. But I had to wash it off.”

Ball bounced back with five points, two rebounds and an assist in overtime. [Luke] Walton was impressed with his second-year point guard’s overall effort, especially late in the game.

“For him to do that against Westbrook — I’m sure a player he watched growing up as one of the great point guards in our league — not only to score those points, but a couple of big assists to Zu coming down the lane, a big-time rebound. He can do a little bit of everything,” Walton said.

Related
Post Up: Ivica Zubac’s Career-Night Leads Lakers Past Thunder in OT, Pascal Siakam Nets Winner

The post Refs: Russell Westbrook Mistakenly Awarded Three Late Free-Throws vs Lakers appeared first on SLAM.

Kuzma’s big night led the Los Angeles Lakers to a 113-100 win against the visiting Detroit Pistons.

Michael Beasley chipped in 19 points on his 30th birthday, 15 coming in the fourth quarter.

Per Lakers Nation and the AP:

“If I’m a great scorer, Kuz is scary. Confidence (is key for Kuzma). He took a lot of shots that a lot of guys wouldn’t look at, especially his late threes,” Beasley said. “As long as he keeps his foot on the gas, the sky is the limit.”

Kuzma had 22 points in the third quarter, hitting four 3-pointers to get the crowd on its feet and scoring on consecutive goaltending calls. He joined Klay Thompson, Stephen Curry, James Harden and James with 40-plus points in three quarters this season.

“Pretty cool,” Kuzma said. “That’s the team I grew up watching. My fondest memories is them beating the Lakers.”

Related
Kyle Kuzma: Lakers Have Their Own ‘Death Lineup’

The post ‘Kuz is Scary’: Kyle Kuzma Drops 41 Points on Detroit appeared first on SLAM.

Kuzma believes L.A.’s small ball unit, which has yet to hoop together due to injuries, “can be really good.”

Kyle Kuzma sees the Lakers' version of a 'Death Lineup' being important, once the team gets healthy https://t.co/1VCEepJNxd

— Tania Ganguli (@taniaganguli) January 9, 2019

Kuzma adds that LeBron James playing the center position is key to the group’s effectiveness.

Per the LA Times:

“I think our small ball unit can be really good,” Kuzma said. “I think we can have a death lineup whether that’s [Rajon] Rondo and Lonzo [Ball] on the floor at the same time and me and [Brandon Ingram] and [Le]Bron [James] or substituting guys. I think as we get better defensively and get more continuity, that small ball lineup is going to be huge for us, especially in the playoffs, when everybody’s going to be going small.”

Kuzma says the Lakers haven’t been able to try that lineup in practice yet.

He sees the lineup working best, though, with James as their small ball center.

“I mean I would hope he would be the five,” Kuzma said, smiling. “He’s a little bit bigger, little more muscle. Offensively doesn’t really matter. He’s going to have the ball. We have a pretty good pick and pop chemistry. It’s all about defensively how we guard our guys.”

Related
Kyle Kuzma: Lakers ‘Not Just One Player’

The post Kyle Kuzma: Lakers Have Their Own ‘Death Lineup’ appeared first on SLAM.

The young Lakers won their first game in three attempts Sunday night without injured stars LeBron James (left groin strain) and Rajon Rondo (right hand surgery.)

Brandon Ingram rises to occasion in 4th as he and Kyle Kuzma show their growth as playmakers in win over Sacramento https://t.co/niJsfxPwHl

— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) December 31, 2018

Brandon Ingram led the way with 21 points, seven rebounds and nine assists in a 121-114 win against the visiting Sacramento Kings.

Per ESPN:

“Just that we can do more as a young core and as a team,” Kuzma said when asked what he has learned during this short stretch without James and Rondo. “We are not just one player, we just got to eliminate little mistakes and we could have won all three games [without them]. For us, it is just continue to keep getting better and better and when those guys get back, hit the ground running.”

Kuzma also thrived as a playmaker with 18 points, nine rebounds and six assists. [Kentavious] Caldwell-Pope hit five 3-pointers and scored 26 points and [Josh] Hart added 22 points and seven rebounds. Perhaps the best gift Ingram and Kuzma gave James was how they showed signs of learning how to play a well-rounded game and setting up teammates like James has done.

“We just continue to show growth each and every game in tight situations that we are in,” Ingram said. “… There’s added emphasis every single night that we step on the floor of passing the ball and getting the best shot for our team. I don’t think we [Kuzma and Ingram] always do it because we naturally want to score the basketball.

“But I think it was definitely the best way to play tonight.”

Related
Report: LeBron James Suffered a ‘Significant’ Left Groin Strain

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Evan Fournier hit a floater late in the fourth quarter to give the Magic the win at home. D.J. Augustin had a team-high 26 points and 8 assists. Aaron Gordon and Nikola Vucevic had 22 apiece as the Magic got their second straight win.

Evan Fournier for the win! (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/gC4cNtzwa9

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 30, 2018

Raptors 95 (27-11), Bulls 89 (10-27)

Kawhi Leonard continues his scoring barrage this season as he finished with 27 points (12 in the fourth quarter) against the Bulls. Pascal Siakam posted a double-double with a 20-point, 12-rebound performance. The Raptors outscored the Bulls, 13-2, on the break and capitalized on the Bulls’ 18 turnovers and scored 21 points.

Timberwolves 113 (17-19), Heat 104 (17-18)

On the road in the 305, Karl-Anthony Towns had 34 points, 18 boards, 7 assists and 6 blocks to lead the Wolves over the Heat. He became the first player to post a stat line since Kareem Abdul Jabbar (35 points, 19 rebounds, 9 assists, 8 blocks) did against the Suns on Nov. 14, 1975. All five of the Wolves’ starters scored in double digits as Robert Covington was the team’s second-leading scorer with 16.

Mavericks 105 (17-18), Thunder 103 (22-13)

Luka Doncic continues to win over those that doubted him before he stepped on an NBA court. The favorite for ROY had 25 points, including a nice stop-and-go move that forced Paul George to lose his balance. OKC led by six in the final two minutes, but the Mavericks made a run off of the Thunder’s miscues in crunch time.

Russell Westbrook struggled to get going on offense and shot 4-for-22. He finished with 9 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists, the first time he didn’t finish in double figures in each category since April 12, 2007.

Luka with the stop and go! (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/4pTg7Vrzjl

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) December 31, 2018

Trailblazers 129 (21-16), Sixers 95 (23-14)

C.J. McCollum went off in Portland with 35 points in the rout against the Sixers. Al-Farouq Aminu had 16, Damian Lillard had 15 and Jusuf Nurkic finished with 14 for the Blazers. The Sixers were without Joel Embiid, the team’s leading scorer (26.5 ppg) and rebounder (13.3 rpg), who sat out with soreness in his left knee.

Lakers 121 (20-16), Kings 114 (19-16)

After losing to the Kings Thursday off a Bogdan Bogdanovic three-pointer at the buzzer, the Lakers got their revenge Sunday night at home. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope led the way with a season-high 26 points as LeBron James, who celebrated his 34th birthday, looked on from the sidelines with a groin injury.

Brandon Ingram scored seven crucial points down the stretch to complete his 21-point stat line. Josh Hart also had a season-high 22 points. The Kings led 110-103 with less than five minutes to go as the Lakers scored 12 straight points. The Lakers lead the season series 2-0.

The post Post Up: Young Lakers Get Revenge Against Kings in LA appeared first on SLAM.

We lead off in Brooklyn where Russell Westbrook broke out a new bright green edition of his Jordan Why Not Zer0.1 while Paul George dropped 47 points, including the game-winner in the “Creamsicle” colorway of his Nike PG 2.5.  Rondae Hollis-Jefferson got his kicks noticed as he wore a multi-color version of the Nike Kyrie 4.

Kobes have always been a staple of our daily NBA KOTNs and tonight was no different as several players took the floor rocking various colorways of the Nike Kobe A.D. Exodus including Giannis Antetokounmpo, sneaker free agent Andrew Wiggins, DeMar DeRozan and Andre Iguodala.  A couple of guys opted to rock more coveted silhouettes as Kyle Kuzma and Jeff Teague donned pairs from the Prelude collection and Kelly Oubre Jr. went with another wear of the “Olympic” Nike Zoom Kobe 7.

Lance Stephenson was also feeling the Olympic vibe as he brought out the Air Jordan VI Retro while LeBron James debuted his latest Nike LeBron 16, the “I’m King” model which features an all-black upper with gold details. On the topic of debuts, Danny Green wore the newest Puma Clyde Court Disrupt release, the “Ocean Drive” which is set to drop this Saturday, December 8.

For all 50 of last night’s best kicks, just keep on scrolling through.

Photos via Getty Images

The post NBA Kicks of the Night appeared first on SLAM.

Kyle Kuzma and Tobias Harris were both in the season spirit with both players rocking holiday Kobes. Kuz went with the grail-status Nike Zoom Kobe 6 “Grinch” while Harris wore the “Xmas” Nike Kobe X Elite. Other kicks turning heads were LeBron James’ grey/purple Nike LeBron 16s, Lance Stepheson’s Air Jordan VIII Retro “Air Raid,” Dwyane Wade with a new Li-Ning WoW model and Damian Lillard’s “Get Dealt With” adidas Dame 4s.

Catch the rest of the night’s NBA sneaker action in our gallery below.

Photos via Getty Images

The post NBA Kicks of the Night appeared first on SLAM.

Teammate Kyle Kuzma says James—who shot 19 for 31 from the field, and also grabbed eight rebounds—“could probably average 40 if he wanted to.”

LeBron James passed the half-century mark, scoring 32 points more than anyone else on the floor.

“Just give him the ball and get out of the way. … He could probably average 40 if he wanted to." — Kyle Kuzmahttps://t.co/nym3uWe9A9

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) November 19, 2018

Sitting on 48 points with time running out and the outcome no longer in doubt, LeBron gladly accepted Lance Stephenson‘s dare to shoot a three-pointer in order to reach the half-century mark.

.@KingJames talks with @miketrudell after erupting for 51 pts against Miami. #LakeShow pic.twitter.com/4D1bFTZ3gU

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) November 19, 2018

Per the AP:

“I bet you won’t go for the 3,” Stephenson said.

The Heat probably wish that conversation never took place. James’ capped his 51-point night with a 32-foot 3-pointer in the final seconds, pointed at Stephenson to let him know he was wrong, and the Lakers rolled past the Heat 113-97 for their seventh win in their last nine games.

James reached 50 for the 13th time in his career, including Game 1 of last season’s NBA Finals.

“It’s always great to be here,” said James, who hugged a slew of familiar faces in the arena he used to call home. “We had some not-so-good times, we had more great times, so it’s always a respect factor and a love for the people in Miami and especially the people who work here.”

Related
Kyle Kuzma Says LeBron James ‘Can Score With the Best of Them’

The post ‘He Could Average 40 if He Wanted’: LeBron James Drops 51 on Miami appeared first on SLAM.

Per Dave McMenamin of ESPN:

Kyle Kuzma echoed the amazement. “He can score with the best of them,” he said. “People always talk about his facilitating and pass-first mentality, but he can probably average 40 if he wanted to.”

This was James’ 12th career 50-point game as he joined Bernard King, Jamal Crawford, Moses Malone and Wilt Chamberlain as the only players to score 50-plus points with three different franchises.

“I’ve played for three very, very historic franchises in the time that I played,” James said. “Obviously, in Miami we did some historical things. In Cleveland we was able to do some historical [things]. And obviously the Lakers [name] speaks for itself, what they’ve been able to do. And so, my teammates, my coaching staff, they just put that trust in me to go out and make plays, and I just try to be as efficient as possible when I’m on the floor and make things happen.”

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LeBron James Passes Wilt Chamberlain on All-Time Scoring List

The post Kyle Kuzma Says LeBron James ‘Can Score With the Best of Them’ appeared first on SLAM.

The “City Edition” threads, designed by Magic Johnson, are an ode to the Lakers’ five championships during the Showtime era. The team is set to debut them on Wednesday at home against Portland.

So far this season, Kuzma is averaging 18.5 points and shooting 48.3% from the field. SLAM caught up with the young forward to talk about his favorite jerseys, playing with LeBron James, on-court kicks and his partnership with American Express.

—

SLAM: What was it like during your rookie year to see people rocking your jersey?

Kyle Kuzma: It’s an awesome experience [based on] growing up where I grew up [in Flint, MI] and my love for the game. I was the kid wearing a jersey at one point and to see people wearing my jersey is a priceless feeling.

SLAM: What were some of your favorite jerseys you had growing up?

KK: I had a turquoise Grant Hill Pistons jersey. I had a Tim Hardaway Miami Heat jersey. I had countless Kobe jerseys.

SLAM: Speaking of Kobe, you wore his jersey prior to a game against Toronto and Nick Van Exel‘s last year. Any other throwback Lakers jerseys you’re going to bring out this season?

KK: Yeah, stay tuned on that one. I don’t want to leak it all out but I got a few—3 or 4 more jerseys that I gotta rock this year.

Kyle Kuzma #PulledUp in the white @kobebryant No. 8 joint. (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/2EvvV1l1HC

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 4, 2018

Kuz rocking the Van Exel jersey. Different. pic.twitter.com/C3ufyXHUDB

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) April 4, 2018

SLAM: Can we get some hints?

KK: I got an ’86 jersey [and] a 2001 of another player, not Lakers. I got a few.

SLAM: Last season, you won League Fits Rookie of the Year. Any predictions for 2018-19? 

KK: MVP. Easy.

SLAM: You and LeBron have developed an on-court chemistry this season. What’s that been like?

KK: It’s been great. He’s a pass-first guy, a facilitator and I have a scoring mentality, so it kind of works hand-in-hand learning from him every single day. Being around him and him helping me has been great for my development.

SLAM: You were eight years old when LeBron made his NBA debut and now you’re on the same team. Did it ever hit you early on this year that you guys were actually teammates?

KK: Yeah, I think the first time we worked out in the facility. Just knowing that he was my teammate and being on the same court as him. After that day, I got used to it but it was unbelievable.

SLAM: Sneaker-wise, you’re switching it up from older Kobes to even wearing the LeBron IVs at practice. What else can we expect from you this season?

KK: I have plenty of older things that I’m going to bring out still with shoes that are in the warehouse I haven’t touched. People are going to be excited when they see what I got.

SLAM: In your downtime, have there been any rookies that you’ve enjoyed watching? 

KK: Yeah, Allonzo Trier…Being un-drafted and the way he’s playing right now is unbelievable. I really like watching him play. He kind of reminds me of myself. I wasn’t un-drafted, but to watch him take the League by storm and have little expectation is refreshing to see.

SLAM: What’s your advice to guys that go late in the draft or go un-drafted?

KK: Once you get here, it’s an equal playing field. It’s not where you get drafted, it’s what you do when you get drafted—whether that’s coming in and being a starter right away or playing your part, it’s all a journey and a marathon and always be consistent and be ready when your time is called.

SLAM: What’s your partnership been like with American Express and seeing all the fans out here the night before the team unveils the “City Edition” jerseys?

KK: It’s great. I’m excited to be a part of the American Express launch. Being here and partnering with them is great because it’s opening up the new jersey launch here.

RELATED
Kyle Kuzma: ‘I Want to Be a Mount Rushmore Player’

—

Drew Ruiz is a Social Editor for SLAM. Follow him on Twitter at @DrewRuiz90. 

Photos via Getty Images. 

The post Kyle Kuzma Talks Favorite Jerseys, Playing with LeBron James and More appeared first on SLAM.

After Saturday’s afternoon win in Detroit, the Sixers came up short Sunday in Brooklyn. Despite Ben Simmons (20 points, 12 rebounds) and Joel Embiid (16 points, 15 rebounds) posting double-doubles, D’Angelo Russell led all scorers with 21 points. Caris LeVert had 18 first-half points and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson chipped in 21 points off the bench, including this left-handed baseline dunk that had no one on the Sixers squad wanting to contest it.

No one was trying to jump with Rondae. (via @BrooklynNets) https://t.co/dgPQdQhKqp

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 5, 2018

Wizards 108 (2-7), Knicks 95 (3-7)

John Wall and Bradley Beal combined for 48 points as the Wiz ended a five-game losing streak. Dwight Howard, who returned to action Friday night, had 10 points in 31 minutes. Enes Kanter was the Knicks’ leading scorer with 18 points.

Magic 117 (3-6), Spurs 110 (6-3)

Four of the Magic’s starters finished in double-digit figures: Aaron Gordon (26 points), D.J. Augustin (18 points), Evan Fournier (16 points) and Nikola Vucevic (13 points). Orlando also got some positive bench contributions from Terrance Ross (17 points) and Mo Bamba (12 points). Bamba also grabbed 11 boards, notching his first career double-double, as the team was on a four-game losing streak. DeMar DeRozan led all scorers with 25 points, but couldn’t rally San Antonio to a win at home.

Suns 102 (2-7), Grizzlies 100 (5-3)

Devin Booker took matters into his own hand down the stretch, sinking a 17-foot jumper with 1.7 seconds on the clock in Phoenix. Booker also scored 14 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter and finished with seven dimes. Trevor Ariza chipped in 16 points.

D. BOOK CALLED GAME (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/u2tJP6ptGM

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 5, 2018

Trail Blazers 111 (7-3), Timberwolves 81 (4-6)

Aside from getting bodied by rookie Josh Okogie, Jusuf Nurkic finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds 24 hours after Portland lost to the Lakers at home. Nurk wasn’t the only Blazer to post a double-double as Meyers Leonard (15 points, 12 rebounds) finished with one of his own. Damian Lillard finished with 18 points and C.J. McCollum contributed 16, respectively. Karl-Anthony Towns had 23 points, his fourth game with 20 or more points. Derrick Rose, who scored a career-high 50 points earlier this week, earned a DNP-CD, and Jimmy Butler sat out during Sunday’s game.

Raptors 121 (9-1), Lakers 107 (4-6)

There’s always a player that tends to go off against the Lakers and Sunday’s game at STAPLES Center was no different. With no Kawhi Leonard (foot soreness), Serge Ibaka finished with a career-high 34 points (hitting his first 14 shots) as the Raptors had a 31-point lead in the first quarter. Kyle Lowry had 21 points and 15 assists. The Lakers never seemed to get in an offensive groove and their defense was horrendous. Kyle Kuzma was the team’s leading scorer with 24 points and LeBron James scored 18 points.

Serge Ibaka goes 15-17 from the field en route to a career-high 34 PTS in the @Raptors 9th win of the season! #WeTheNorth pic.twitter.com/VNPRIIzfeX

— NBA (@NBA) November 5, 2018

Bucks 144 (8-1), Kings 109 (6-4)

The Greek Freak messed around and had a triple-double (26 points, 15 rebounds, 11 assists) in a rout against the Kings. Aside from his stellar stat line, Giannis put Kosta Koufos on a poster in the second half. A total of eight Bucks players finished in double figures. Kings forward Justin Jackson had 22 points in 25 minutes off the bench.

ANOTHER GIANNIS POSTER. How do you stop this man??? (via @Bucks) pic.twitter.com/CsccZvGIzH

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 4, 2018

The post Post Up: Giannis Antetokoumpo Posts Triple-Double in W Against Kings appeared first on SLAM.

Kyle Kuzma, last year’s All-Drip Rookie of the Year, made an appearance in the “Best of the Rest” with All-Drip Second Team member and #DadDrip king LeBron James.

The Washington Wizards (John Wall, Kelly Oubre Jr., Green) and the Los Angeles Lakers (James, Kuzma, Michael Beasley) had the most players on this week’s Fits of the Week, with each squad having three representatives.

—

To keep up with the NBA’s Survival of the Fitted, follow @LeagueFits on Instagram 

The post Fits of the Week: Russell Westbrook is Making Overalls Cool Again 🌊 appeared first on SLAM.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpCShHTn7aF/?taken-by=slamkicks

“GOAT has inspired me to start collecting more seriously and build my style around sneakers,” Kuzma said via press release. “People assume that, as an NBA athlete, you can get access to any kind of sneaker you want. When in reality, it’s hard to get the exclusive releases or shoes from the past, and feel confident they’re authentic. GOAT gives me a second chance at not only the limited releases I missed, but also the shoes I wasn’t able to afford growing up.”

Kuzma, a native of Flint, MI, is a Nike athlete. He wore mostly Kobe Bryant silhouettes throughout his rookie season. He’s been seen in LeBron James‘ kicks throughout preseason practices, as well. A few weeks back he teased that somebody “gave [him] the keys,” referencing that he was going to have major sneaker heat for the 2018-19 campaign. The League has removed all restrictions on players’ sneakers matching their uniforms, opening the floodgates for outrageous sneakers.

In addition to playing in sneakers from the GOAT App, Kuzma will also be provided with exclusive joints for off the court, most notably for the tunnel that he walks through before games. (Shout out to LeagueFits.)

Kuzma’s first game of the season is tomorrow night in Portland at 10:30 EST.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bojx3piHAlG/?taken-by=slamkicks

The post Kyle Kuzma Becomes First NBA Player to Sign with GOAT App appeared first on SLAM.

The Purple and Gold will push the pace, but with an aim to remain under control.

New Story: LeBron James tells Yahoo Sports why he’s embracing an accelerated pace at the age of 33 and why it’s necessary. https://t.co/jSRHZpZZ9u

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) October 4, 2018

James, 33, says he’s up for the challenge of leading the break in L.A. “even with the miles” on his odometer.

Per Yahoo Sports:

“You see those young legs out there,” James told Yahoo Sports. “We would be stupid not to utilize that as a strength. That’s just good coaching.”

[Luke] Walton is now asking James not only to stay with the herd — which will eventually include Lonzo Ball, 20, who is recovering from a knee injury — but on most occasions to be in front of it.

“I feel good out there. I’m good. I haven’t had issues [with my back since 2014-15],” James said. “I’m just trying to get everyone involved right now and make sure everyone is on the same page. That’s all. We’ll be in good shape.”

Related
LeBron James: ‘We Want to Be a Positionless Team’

The post LeBron James: Lakers Will Be a Running Team appeared first on SLAM.

Johnson was blown away by the experience of observing King James from up-close.

Magic already excited by LeBron's offseason impact on Lakers. @gregbeacham https://t.co/CRs34YbKpL

— AP Sports (@AP_Sports) September 21, 2018

Johnson and GM Rob Pelinka believe the Purple and Gold have one of the NBA’s deepest rosters heading into the 2018-19 campaign.

Per the AP:

“Just to see all of them together playing a pickup game, oh my goodness,” Johnson said. “It’s something to watch. I’ve watched LeBron from afar. I’ve been at many of his games. But to watch him in the gym is a whole different thing. How much he makes everybody better, but also how he raises everybody’s level of play. His basketball IQ and his leadership ability, it’s all on display.”

And as if he needed any reminder, Johnson has witnessed the singular skills of the 33-year-old James, who agreed to a four-year, $154 million free-agent deal.

“LeBron comes in, and he’s already in midseason form and shooting fadeaways and 3-pointers from almost half-court,” Johnson said with a broad grin. “And you’re sitting there saying, ‘Man, thank God we signed him.'”

Related
Jeanie Buss: ‘They’re Not Laker Fans if They’re Not Happy About LeBron’

The post Magic Johnson: LeBron James ‘Already in Midseason Form’ appeared first on SLAM.

The No. 27 pick in the 2017 draft showed out in his rookie year, averaging 16.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. All summer long, Kuz has been in the gym grinding. In an interview with Mike Trudell of NBA.com, he discussed the progress he’s made during the last several months:

MT: What’s been the focus of your offseason regimen?
Kuzma: We’ve worked on a lot of perimeter skills and playing at the three. Last year I played the three and the four, and I’ll probably play (both) this year, but just to develop my game as a perimeter guy. Reading passes. My handling. Just working out as a guard really helps your overall game.

MT: How much better are you now, in early September, than you were in April?
Kuzma: A lot. A lot better. Totally different. I’m stronger. I got more handle. I watch more film now to really understand things on the floor that I didn’t see last year.

Asked how difficult it is to balance being both an individual and team player, Kuz said the Lakers always come first, but referenced his goal of ending up on the Mount Rushmore of NBA greats:

MT: If you’re a college player who wants to get to the NBA, it’s a little naïve, to me, to think that you can just be a team guy. You told me last year that you have to be thinking about improving your specific skill set to fit at the next level, if that’s your goal. How does that balance shift when you get to the NBA? In other words, can you be both a great team player and want to be great individually? Sometimes that lines up perfectly for guys, but what if it doesn’t? 

Kuzma: For sure. Of course, the goal should be the team, because if the team wins everyone wins and looks good. But you don’t want to be playing (10 minutes a game). I want to be a great player. I want to be a Mount Rushmore player. You can’t do that just by totally buying in; you have to buy in, but it’s just a grey area. You have to still do your thing. You can’t just stand in the corner.

Can’t wait to watch Kuz ball out in season two.

RELATED
Kyle Kuzma: ‘People Are Underestimating’ the Lakers

The post Kyle Kuzma: ‘I Want to Be a Mount Rushmore Player’ appeared first on SLAM.

Kuzma, 23, says “change can be a good thing” when it comes to the Lakers’ unconventional roster moves this summer.

Kyle Kuzma is excited about the Lakers’ new additions and believes people are ‘underestimating' what the Lakers can do https://t.co/yzI9CTVpK8

— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) August 15, 2018

Kuz has worked out with new teammate LeBron James, and reports that they’re both excited about the makeup of the group.

Per ESPN:

“We are both definitely excited about the roster and the pieces that we have,” Kuzma told ESPN on Tuesday, after visiting with 20 kids from the Safe Places program at his hometown Flint YMCA as part of the “My Y Story” content series. “And we think that a lot of people are underestimating us. It is definitely going to be fun playing with all these new guys.”

“A lot of people say we got a lot of different people, a lot of new people,” added Kuzma, who also is holding a three-day camp for children in his hometown. “But change can be a good thing. It is not necessarily always a bad thing. There’s a lot of teams in the NBA that need to work on their chemistry; we are just one of them.”

Kuzma also disagrees with the notion that James might have to be patient and wait another year to add another star to see the Lakers truly contend while the team’s up-and-coming players such as Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart and Kuzma continue to grow.

“I don’t know why people kind of just rule us out because we are young,” said Kuzma, who was a first-team All-Rookie performer after averaging 16.1 points and 6.3 rebounds last season. “We are hungry. We are competitive. Anybody that watched us play last year, we were in a lot of games. Having one of the greatest players of all time is going to raise what we do, raise our level of focus and the team to a higher level. I don’t really see why [there is a need to be] so patient.”

Related
LeBron James: Not a Rebuilding Year for the Lakers

The post Kyle Kuzma: ‘People Are Underestimating’ the Lakers appeared first on SLAM.

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Isaiah Thomas Reportedly Agrees to One-Year Contract with Nuggets

The post Zach LaVine, Jamal Crawford, Kyle Kuzma and More SHOW OUT at Zeke-End 🔥 appeared first on SLAM.

According to an anonymous team executive, head coach Luke Walton will surround James with Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma in the starting lineup.

PG – Lonzo Ball
SG – Josh Hart
SF – Brandon Ingram
PF – Kyle Kuzma
C – LeBron James

Lakers exec is excited to unleash L.A.’s version of the Death Lineup with Bron at small-ball center https://t.co/WGFtkv2eZQ pic.twitter.com/BxZujSCx1N

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 19, 2018

The front-office adds an important caveat:

“The roster we have in October may not be the same come February.”

Per Bleacher Report:

“It won’t feel real to me until I see [James] in training camp,” said a Lakers executive, standing not more than 40 feet from the superstar forward. “It’s still hard to believe.”

For now, that honeymoon glow has reduced the pressure to add a second star. The team missed out on Paul George. Kawhi Leonard is a member of the Raptors—and while ESPN’s Chris Haynes reported that Leonard is not thrilled with the prospect of playing for Toronto, the franchise has a year to change his mind before he hits free agency.

“We may not see this on day one, but the coaching staff is eager to see our version of the [Warriors’] Death Lineup with Lonzo [Ball], Josh Hart, Brandon Ingram, [Kyle] Kuzma and LeBron,” a second Lakers executive said.

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Report: LeBron James to Focus on Post Play With the Lakers

The post Lakers Exec: LeBron James to Play Center appeared first on SLAM.

“I spoke to him during the playoffs and then I talked to him last night, right after the decision,” Bryant told Stephen A. Smith on ESPN radio. “I told him, ‘Welcome to the family, man.’ It sounds crazy but I said, ‘Dude, you are part of the family now. So anything you need on my end, I got you. Whatever the case may be, I am here for you.’ Just wishing him and his family the best and looking forward to seeing them when they get in.”

“Dude, as people, you got to help your brothers do well,” added the ultra-competitive Bryant. “I had a great run, I played 20 years, it was awesome, I had a great time, we are fortunate enough to win five championships and all that. Now it is somebody else’s time. And that is what the Lakers have always been about. When I came here, Magic [Johnson] welcomed me with open arms, me and Shaq [O’Neal], and we were able to carry on the tradition with Magic’s and Kareem’s [Abdul-Jabbar] support and certainly it is our responsibility to pay that forward. So anything that I can do whatsoever to help LeBron bring a championship back to the city of L.A., I am all for it.”

Bryant expects James to significantly accelerate his new teammates’ learning curve.

Kobe adds that Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma can only benefit from playing with LeBron.

Kobe: Lakers' dreams 'bigger now' with LeBron https://t.co/w1l1ba8IFI pic.twitter.com/36U0ZLW0aH

— ESPNLosAngeles (@ESPNLosAngeles) July 2, 2018

Per ESPN:

“With LeBron on this roster, I don’t think it will be much of an issue to make the playoffs,” Bryant said of the Lakers, who finished 35-47 but endured a rash of injuries toward the end of last season. “The dreams are substantially bigger now. LeBron accelerates the learning curve for these young guys and they will be able to learn a lot faster because they will get a chance to watch him work every single day, how he comes to practice, how he takes care of his body and how he handles his nutrition. They will be able to learn really, really quickly. This is really going to help Lonzo’s and Kyle’s growth and the rest of the guys.”

“… For us to have a player like LeBron here, it just creates so much energy [for the city of Los Angeles and the NBA],” Bryant added. “Players like Lonzo and Kyle and others now have that really good pressure to push them forward sooner rather than later. I can’t wait to see them respond to it.”

Related
LeBron James Called Kobe Bryant Prior to Choosing the Lakers

The post Kobe Bryant: Laker Dreams ‘Substantially Bigger Now’ With LeBron James appeared first on SLAM.

After the panel, they filled the roles of motivational coaches, as attendees were split up into groups and went through circuit-like training before the grand opening. The space, which is open now until Aug. 12, serves as a hub for Nike — sponsored athletes and fitness enthusiasts and brings all aspects from the Nike Training Club app — like workout programs and educational workshops — to life.

SLAM caught up with Kuzma during the event to talk offseason training, nutrition, giving advice to draft prospects and more:

—

SLAM: How important is offseason training and getting your body right to you?

Kuz: Offseason training is huge because it’s your time to not think about the team goals. It’s all about you and your individual goals. For me, training is a big part of my life because it’s what I do. It’s definitely huge.

SLAM: Anything you’re specifically trying to focus on this offseason?

Kuz: My body — getting stronger in my lower body in my stability and stances. That’s just the biggest thing.

SLAM: What’s your favorite Nike basketball campaign?

Kuz: Probably the old Kobe [Bryant] ones. I feel like those are the best ones that you always remember. That one campaign with the Kobe System when it really came out with the commercial with Kobe and Kanye [West]. That’s probably my favorite campaign.

SLAM: Speaking of Kobe, is there any specific signature sneaker model that you could just wear forever?

Kuz: Playing-wise, man, the Kobe 4, 1 and A.D. Mid. Those are my favorite ones — the look and durability on the court.

SLAM: You were the lead for the “Final Seconds” Kobe 1 Protro this past season. What was that like to be a part of that campaign?

Kuz: It’s super dope. Like you said, modeling for Nike and doing the Kobe shot — I’m already a Kobe fan and play for the Lakers — it’s kind of like a dream come true. You always dream of being a poster boy for something and being that type of guy. It was a special feeling for sure.

SLAM: What advice do you pass along to the No. 27 pick or guys that were selected after in this year’s draft?

Kuz: There’s a lot of things. The main thing is once you get drafted, you can be the No. 1 pick or the 60th pick — you’re an NBA player. It’s up to you to create however type of career you want to have. That’s the biggest thing. It’s an equal playing field once you get to the NBA.

SLAM: Is there something that you took for granted early on that you really focus on now as a pro?

Kuz: My nutrition. Coming from high school in Flint and not having enough money to eat healthy, going to college and you’re not thinking of eating salmon; you’re just trying to get by. Being a pro, you have to eat because you want your career to be super long and eating is a little thing, but it’s a big thing.

Registration for the Just Do It HQ is available via the NTC app or nike.com/la.

—

Drew Ruiz is a contributor to SLAM. Follow him @DrewRuiz90. 

Photos via Getty Images. 

The post Kyle Kuzma Talks Offseason Training, Favorite Kicks And More appeared first on SLAM.

Meet the first-ever SLAM @LeagueFits All-Drip Teams and Rookie of the Year, a group of 11 players that were built for the Survival of the Fitted.

All-Drip First Team

Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder

The Brodie made a career for himself with his fearless attitude on the court, and his attitude in fashion isn’t much different. The League’s most versatile dresser, Russ isn’t afraid to make jaws drop on any given night.

Nick Young, Golden State Warriors 

Swaggy P became Swaggy Champ as he won his first-ever NBA Finals with Golden State, but he kept it straight Hollywood with the fits. In addition to wearing top-shelf names like Saint Laurent, Supreme and Rhude Designs, Swaggy gets bonus points for dropping a new collection of jawnz on his own line, Most Hated Los Angeles.

PJ Tucker, Houston Rockets

PJ Tucker’s career made stops in Israel, Greece, Italy, Puerto Rico, Canada and Germany before he became a Houston Rocket. With an international influence playing a role in his drip, the NBA’s undisputed sneaker king joined the upper echelon of all-time fit icons, too.

Jimmy Butler, Minnesota Timberwolves

Jimmy loves his patterns, and it shows. Never afraid to be bold, Butler was one of the League’s most coordinated dressers during his first year in Minnesota.

LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers

LeBron is way cooler than your dad. Year 15 was a legendary one for the King off the court just as much as it was on the hardwood. James mixed things up, rocking streetwear brands like Billionaire Boys Club, top-flight designed suits from Thom Browne (shouts out to the suit shorts) and up-and-coming Scholastics. Dad Drip at its finest.

All-Drip Second Team

James Harden, Houston Rockets

Stella McCartney, Balenciaga, Maison Valentino, Y-3, Raf Simons, Versace, Vetements, etc. The Beard rocked the League’s deepest designer wardrobe as he led the Rockets to a franchise-best 65 wins.

Jordan Clarkson, Los Angeles Lakers/Cleveland Cavaliers

JC made the jump from Los Angeles to Cleveland at the trade deadline, but the youngin’ brought the West Coast streetwear style with him to the midwest. Already one of the League’s Supreme kings, Clarkson mixed things up with Off-White, Rhude Designs and Gucci.

Serge Ibaka, Toronto Raptors 

Simple and steezy, Serge Ibaka made Dad Drip cool again in Toronto. Touted by Kyle Lowry as “The Most Stylish Man in the NBA,” Ibaka capped off a career fit year with the Raptors by heading East to stunt out at Paris Fashion Week (just peep the ‘gram).

Terry Rozier, Boston Celtics

The game doesn’t end when the final horn blows for Scary Terry. Rozier had Twitter popping when he wore a Drew Bledsoe jersey after knocking Eric Bledsoe’s Bucks out of the postseason, but the Pats threads weren’t the only notable fit from Rozier, who brought out some of the League’s tuffest Off-White combinations.

Chris Paul, Houston Rockets

Deion Sanders once said that “You look good, you feel good. You feel good, you play good,” and it was the motto CP3 rode all the way to his first-ever Conference Finals. The Point Gawd mixed innovation and bold patterns with old-school staples (shouts out to making the dad cap cool again) in the winningest season of his career.

All-Drip Rookie of the Year

Kyle Kuzma, Los Angeles Lakers

You would’ve thought Kuz had been Hollywood his whole life. Brining serious game and a booming personality to the Lakers, Kuzma has the wardrobe to match his path to stardom.

—

To keep up with the NBA’s Survival of the Fitted, follow @LeagueFits on Instagram 

The post Introducing the First-Ever LeagueFits All-Drip Teams 💧 appeared first on SLAM.

Though most of it has been good-natured, and the two are close friends, the Lakers are said to be concerned with the “increasingly personal nature” of the joking insults.

With @ramonashelburne: The Lakers talk to Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma about toning down the social media roasting https://t.co/q9lq9ipByT

— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) June 14, 2018

The Purple and Gold understandably don’t want a repeat of the D’Angelo Russell–Nick Young social media fiasco.

Per ESPN:

Though Kuzma and Ball are close friends, the Lakers had grown concerned about the increasingly personal nature of some of the recent roasting between two of their young stars, sources told ESPN.

The back-and-forth ribbing went on throughout their rookie season, escalating from tweets and Instagram posts to Kuzma’s recent Bleacher Report “Player Hater of the Year” Award video making jokes at Ball’s expense and Ball’s response with the track titled “Kylie Kuzma” released on Monday.

The track included a lyric about Kuzma’s lack of a relationship with his biological father. […] Sources said the team spoke to both players and that there are no lingering issues and that both players agreed to tone down the joking insults on social media.

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Lonzo Ball Releases ‘Kylie Kuzma,’ Diss Track About Kyle Kuzma

The post Report: Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma Asked to Tone Down Trash Talk appeared first on SLAM.

The rookies became fast friends during their first season with the Lakers but Ball just about emptied the clip on Kuzma. See a few lyrics below.

“Who are you without ZO2s… just another dude with a bunch of tattoos.”

Usually do this shit for fun

But trust me, boy, I’m not the one

If you the bullet, I’m the gun

If you the pot, I’m cooking, son

You want smoke? You can get it

Dressing for attention 

Tryna be Russell Westbrook

You just honorable mention 

I’ll kill you with these sentences

To me, you’re just a peasant 

Triple B’s is independent 

Kuzmania can’t reinvent it

That’s just part of the track, in which Zo went in about Kuz’s hometown, his style and his game on the court.

Hit this link right here to listen to the song in iTunes.

Kylie Kuzma #ItunesExclusive https://t.co/PummuqTs87

— Lonzo Ball (@ZO2_) June 11, 2018

RELATED:
Lonzo, Gelo and LaVar Ball Drop New Song

The post Lonzo Ball Releases ‘Kylie Kuzma,’ Diss Track About Kyle Kuzma appeared first on SLAM.

Kyle Kuzma reports that his teammate is hitting the gym extra-hard this summer.

Kyle Kuzma, who just earned first-team All-Rookie honors, has been in the gym and hasn't been alone in weight room. Kuz says Lonzo Ball has been taking the weight room and adding more muscle 'a lot more serious' https://t.co/rFXd8coIoE

— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) May 23, 2018

Ball, 20, has made bulking up his top offseason priority.

Per ESPN:

“Consistency in the weight room, that is the biggest thing,” Kuzma said on Tuesday of what he has seen out of Ball this offseason so far. “He has been in there pretty much every day I have been in here around this time. You can tell he is taking the weight room a lot more serious and that is going to help him by allowing him to recover faster and hopefully next year be on the court more because of that weight room.”

When the Lakers’ season ended, team president Magic Johnson told Ball that this would be the “biggest summer” of his life. The Lakers want to see Ball — who was limited to a total of 52 games due to injuries but still earned second-team All-Rookie honors after averaging 10.2 points, 7.2 assists and 6.9 rebounds — add more muscle to his wiry frame in hopes of improving his ability to stay on the court.

The post Kyle Kuzma: Lonzo Ball ‘Taking the Weight Room a Lot More Serious’ 💪🏽 appeared first on SLAM.

Celtics wing Jayson Tatum would have been unanimous First-Team, if not for one Second-Team vote.

A panel of 100 media members voted for the 2017-18 NBA All-Rookie Teams, with a First Team vote counting for 2 points, and a Second Team vote counting for 1 point.

Check out the full results below:

2017-18 NBA All-Rookie Team Voting Results

First Team: Kyle Kuzma (193), Lauri Markkanen (173), Donovan Mitchell (200), Ben Simmons (200), Jayson Tatum (199)

Second Team: Lonzo Ball (87), Bogdan Bogdanovic (75), John Collins (76), Josh Jackson (45), Dennis Smith Jr (96)

Other rookies receiving votes: Bam Adebayo (44); De’Aaron Fox (34); OG Anunoby (25); Jarrett Allen (18); Dillon Brooks (14); Jordan Bell (5); Royce O’Neale (4); Zach Collins (3); Milos Teodosic (3); Luke Kennard (1); Frank Mason III (1); Malik Monk (1); Frank Ntilikina (1); Semi Ojeleye (1); Sindarius Thornwell (1)

The 2017-18 NBA All-Rookie First Team! @spidadmitchell @BenSimmons25 @jaytatum0 @kylekuzma @MarkkanenLauri pic.twitter.com/9Sk3KGHlOI

— NBA (@NBA) May 22, 2018

RELATED:
Ben Simmons Responds to Donovan Mitchell’s ‘Rookie’ Hoodie

The post Mitchell, Simmons Voted Unanimous All-Rookie First Teamers appeared first on SLAM.

As the organization preps for a crucial offseason and the pursuit of free agent superstars like Paul George and LeBron James, they are remaining open to all trade offers, via Tania Ganguli of the LA Times:

While they like their young core and would prefer to keep those players growing together, they have told teams no player is untouchable in trades, according to multiple sources who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of trade and free-agent negotiations.

Ganguli goes on to clarify that the team is not actively seeking deals:

To be clear, the Lakers are not actively shopping any of their players. They are willing to listen to offers and could move one of them — even a member of the talented young cadre of Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram or Josh Hart — if an offer blows them away.

RELATED
Report: Source Close to Paul George ‘Wouldn’t Be Surprised’ If He Re-Signs in OKC

The post Report: Lakers Telling Teams ‘No Player Is Untouchable In Trades’ appeared first on SLAM.

Kuzma points to James heading to seven consecutive NBA Finals, while admitting that it’s “hard to go against Kobe.”

The @Lakers’ Kyle Kuzma (@kylekuzma) joins @Chris_Broussard to talk Kobe, LeBron over KD, and Lonzo’s rap game on #InTheZone.

SUBSCRIBE: https://t.co/XrjtCSHKy1 pic.twitter.com/t3YjqxWYMI

— FS1 (@FS1) May 10, 2018

The rookie forward is putting his money on the Golden State Warriors to win the championship.

Per Lakers Nation:

But for as much affinity as he has for the five-time champion, Kuzma still went with LeBron James as the best player of the generation, while also picking the Golden State Warriors to win the 2018 NBA Finals, via the “Inside The Zone with Chris Broussard” podcast:

“Um… Golden State. It’s tough. It’ll be interesting. I want to see how they do against Houston. I think Houston’s had a phenomenal season. Bron is Bron. I’m never going to count him out, because he’s the greatest player of this generation. No question. … It’s hard to go against Kobe but, I mean, he’s been to the Finals seven straight times.”

The post Kyle Kuzma Reluctantly Picks LeBron James Over Kobe Bryant appeared first on SLAM.

Teammate Kyle Kuzma challenged Ball in a Twitter poll to put out a better album than Nas’:

Hey @ZO2_ Nas is dropping his album June 15th… make one by that time and let’s see who is better… America do you want to see this?

— kuz (@kylekuzma) April 23, 2018

On his Facebook Watch series Ball in the Family, Zo said: “Don’t nobody listen to Nas anymore.” He also rocked a hoodie in December that featured an image of his face over that of Nas on the cover of It Was Written.

RELATED
Jordan Crawford Reportedly Signing with Big Baller Brand

The post Kyle Kuzma Challenges Lonzo Ball To Drop Album At Same Time As Nas appeared first on SLAM.

.@kylekuzma has been turning back the clock with these vintage sky hook shots. pic.twitter.com/G2bN4Kpkad

— NBAIndia (@NBAIndia) April 9, 2018

Kuzma’s head coach, Luke Walton, has come to embrace the 22-year-old’s ability to make the shot.

Kuz says people no longer mock him for attempting the hook.

“People used to make fun of me for shooting it,” Kuzma said, “because they were like, ‘Man, that’s an old shot.”

Now?

"They don't laugh no more." https://t.co/5vtEctu8pt

— Bill Oram (@billoram) April 10, 2018

Per the OC Register:

“In my head, I was trying to figure out, does he have that in his game or was that just a bad shot that went in?” Walton said, remembering back to last year’s pre-draft combine in Chicago. “And then I’ve seen him do it a lot more since.”

Kuzma would turn to the shot during summertime open gyms in Salt Lake City and was met with a riotous response from his Utah teammates.

“People used to make fun of me for shooting it,” Kuzma said, “because they were like, ‘Man, that’s an old shot.”

And now?

“Now it’s pretty effective,” Kuzma said. “I talk to them still and it’s pretty funny but they don’t laugh no more.”

The post Kyle Kuzma Bringing Hook Shot Back to the NBA appeared first on SLAM.

SLAM: What’s your background with basketball? When did you develop a passion for the game?

Durk: Grammar school. I used to play in grammar school. But I don’t ever say, I used to play, because I was always in trouble with my grades, so I could never play on teams. But definitely grammar school. I went to Guggenheim Elementary. Shout out Chicago.

SLAM: Who was your favorite player growing up?

Durk: Allen Iverson. Definitely the GOAT. His whole background, everything – I related to it. So definitely AI.

SLAM: Which rapper is the best hooper? 

Durk: That’s easy – Me. There’s a couple dudes out there that rap. I like Chris Brown. I like his game. I like Quavo game too.

SLAM: Which NBA player is the best rapper? 

Durk: Damian Lillard. He can actually rap. You know how some be like, I ain’t listening to him. But [Dame] can actually rap.

SLAM: What about Iman Shumpert? 

Durk: He can rap too, but their styles are way different. Shout out Shump.

Small ass 10k let’s goooooooooo tag em

A post shared by DURKIOOOOOO (@durkioworld) on Mar 16, 2018 at 4:51pm PDT

SLAM: We saw you put out a video challenging a bunch of rappers to play you.

Durk: I beat Bow Wow for $10,000 already. PnB Rock. Tory Lanez. Swae Lee. G Herbo. YFN Lucci. Chris Brown ain’t say nothing to me yet. We just making it a fun thing. All the hoopers who say they got skills – you got to show it.

SLAM: Which of those guys has the best jump shot?

Durk: Quavo was in there too. I got to give it to Quavo.

SLAM: Coming from Chicago, do you have a favorite Jordan memory?

Durk: When the Bulls won a championship in 1998. The whole city was going crazy. And I’m young, I ain’t know what was going on. I’m like, damn the city just going up.

SLAM: What was the inspiration for your latest album?

Durk: It was just like the new and improved Durk. Just dropping that new energy, leaving Def Jam [and not] being held back. Fans been wanting to see what’s going on. So that was like the first project. It’s the new me.

SLAM: What’s in the works now? 

Durk: Turn up. Consistent music, consistent videos, festivals. Just a lot more scenery things. Being more in the mix.

SLAM: Is there one rapper or artist you haven’t gotten the chance to collab with that you really want to?

Durk: It was Future, but I got a lot going on with him. So Drake.

SLAM: Is there any chance you collab with an NBA player on a song? 

Durk: Definitely, man. That’s what it’s about. Being creative and opening new doors.

SLAM: Give us some quick NBA predictions. Who you got for Rookie of the Year?

Durk: I’m gonna say [Kyle] Kuzma. He’s been killing. He’s been holding up his team a lot too.

SLAM: MVP?

Durk: I’m gonna give it to James Harden. That boy been going crazy. He is leading a lot this year too.

SLAM: NBA Champions? 

Durk: I’m a Golden State fan, so of course Golden State.

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The post Q+A: Rapper Lil Durk appeared first on SLAM.

Worthy added that traditional bigs are “almost obsolete” because of their inability to guard players like Kuzma and Durant.

“Kuzma is the prototype. Kevin Durant is the prototype now.

“There’s not even any bigs on the All-Star ballot anymore. You don’t see centers unless they can guard the three or shoot the three. You hardly see them in the fourth quarter. They’ve become almost obsolete.

“We have one that can hit the three, but you also have to go out and be able to guard Durant or Draymond Green. So it’s made the game change a little bit.

“Kuzma fits right in there. He can play two or three positions.”

RELATED:
Kyle Kuzma Has Arrived

The post James Worthy Calls Kyle Kumza, Kevin Durant ‘Prototype’ NBA Players appeared first on SLAM.

In Indianapolis, Lance Stephenson had some sneaker issues as the sole on his vintage pair of Nike Zoom Huarache 2k4 KB’s came off during the Pacers affair with the Lakers. The mishap wasn’t a major one as Born Ready continued play before switching to the “Obsidian” Air Jordan XV Retro. Kyle Kuzma continued his impressive rookie season dropping 27 points while rocking the UNDFTD x Nike Zoom Kobe 1 Protro.

The New York Knicks had a few notable kicks on the night as Emmanuel Mudiay’s rocked a fresh pair of white and iridescent Under Armour Heatseekers, Tim Hardaway Jr. went with the Air Jordan XIII Retro “Hyper Royal” and Troy Williams wore the “March Madness” Nike PG2.

Peep the rest of Monday’s NBA kicks in our gallery just ahead.

Photos via Getty Images

The post NBA Kicks of the Night appeared first on SLAM.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Kuzma said Isaiah was barking at Cleveland’s bench every time he scored (starting at 2:00):

Kyle Kuzma details his relationships with Julius Randle and Isaiah Thomas pic.twitter.com/lfnDHdgdqD

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) March 12, 2018

“He was barking at Cleveland’s bench the whole time, every time he scored.” […]

“He was only there for 15 games, but it was good to see him try to kill them. We have a saying: Your last team, they didn’t want you.

“He took it to them, and he did a great job.”

RELATED:
Isaiah Thomas Leads Lakers in Blowout of Cavs

The post Kyle Kuzma Says Isaiah Thomas Was ‘Trying To Kill’ The Cavaliers appeared first on SLAM.

According to Yahoo’s Pat Forde and Pete Thamel, at least 25 players are linked to impermissible benefits, including Michigan State’s Miles Bridges, Alabama’s Collin Sexton and Duke’s Wendell Carter.

Current NBA players Kyle Kuzma, Dennis Smith Jr, Markelle Fultz and Bam Adebayo were also among the players who received payments from ASM.

.@YahooSports exclusive: Federal documents taken from ASM Sports in hoops corruption case reveal extensive potential NCAA violations. Docs show some of the biggest stars and programs in the sport, including more than 20 schools and 25 players. https://t.co/N6zcAD3IRY

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) February 23, 2018

The documents show an underground recruiting operation that could create NCAA rules issues – both current and retroactive – for at least 20 Division I basketball programs and more than 25 players. […]

There’s potential impermissible benefits and preferential treatment for players and families of players at Duke, North Carolina, Texas, Kentucky, Michigan State, USC, Alabama and a host of other schools.

The documents link some of the sport’s biggest current stars – Michigan State’s Miles Bridges, Alabama’s Collin Sexton and Duke’s Wendell Carter – to specific potential extra benefits for either the athletes or their family members.

The amounts tied to players in the case range from basic meals to tens of thousands of dollars.

RELATED:
Report: ‘As Many As 50 Programs’ Could Be Implicated In College Basketball Corruption Cases

The post Report: FBI Uncovers Potential NCAA Violations By More Than 25 Players, 20 Schools appeared first on SLAM.

In fact, none of the ongoing side chatter or armchair analysis currently revolving around Kuzma and how this all must just be some lightning-in-a-bottle misunderstanding has had much of an effect on the Lakers rookie.

That’s because Kuzma, at all of 22 years old and 6-9, was made for this. The ascent from Flint, MI, to the University of Utah, to Los Angeles, where he’s becoming a franchise cornerstone for the League’s most visible team, has not been a surprise. At least not to anyone actually watching.

“I think I get that because a lot of people think it’s kind of like a fluke thing,” says Kuzma as to why others might label him another flash in the NBA pan.

“It’s always been like that. It was like that in Summer League,” he says. “They were like, Oh, Summer League. He killed, but it’s Summer League. Then, same thing when preseason came, and I did the same thing in preseason. Now, I’m in the regular season playing against real [pros], and still the same thing. So for me, I kind of use it as motivation. It is what it is—people are going to say what they want to say, but it’s all white noise to me.”

Through his first 48 games of action, that had certainly been the case. As this issue went to print, Kuzma was leading the Lakers in scoring at just over 16 per, including a six-game stretch in mid-December when he dropped averages of 26.5 points and 7.3 rebounds. The opponents? Only Cleveland, Houston, Minnesota, Portland and Golden State (twice). That’s no fluke.

It’s also because when you watch Kuzma, one thing becomes glaringly clear: He is fearless. Fearless for the moment, pressure and grand stage of it all. Fearless for the added expectations, rising jersey sales and becoming a star for a rabid fan base starving for a return to the glory days. His fearlessness comes from confidence—that this isn’t just the season’s feel good story; it’s the start of something bigger.

“He wants to be the best. Anytime he steps on the floor, he thinks he is the best. That’s how he plays, a lot of confidence,” says Lonzo Ball, Kuz’s fellow Lakers rookie and best friend on the team. “I think it helps him, just the way he plays and his mindset. I love it.”

“I feel like when you work hard, you’re prepared. And when you’re prepared, you should be confident,” Kuzma says. It’s a simple yet seemingly perplexing proposition for many young players once they hit the pro stage. Guys who, after likely reigning as their respective team’s focal points since grammar school, quickly find themselves adjusting to a different role and a new normal in the NBA.

Yet Kuzma propels forward with hard work and confidence. Everyone who gushes about the kid, from the aforementioned Ball to Lakers coach Luke Walton to Draymond Green, says as much. That he lives in the gym, he’s always working and pushing himself, and that his confidence is unshakeable.

“I don’t know how he does it—he just learns to tune things out and then just kind of respond when he needs to,” says Vin Sparacio, Kuzma’s manager and longtime mentor, dating back to Kyle’s junior year of high school. “I guess that’s a good thing and a bad thing, but he’s just wired different.”

When Kuzma himself speaks on his approach, it doesn’t feel forced or fake. His postgame interviews alone have already made him a late night basketball Twitter favorite, whether it’s his innocent nonchalance about dropping 38 at Houston or 31 on Christmas Day. It doesn’t even click in his brain that he’s not supposed to be doing this, this early. Every milestone is just another day, another bucket for Kuz. And in a profession that tightropes the line between confidence and arrogance ever so gently, it feels genuine when he describes himself as “really humble.”

“I really want to be one of the hardest workers in the NBA,” Kuzma says. “I think that’s really important. You know, everybody wants to be the best but doesn’t necessarily put in the work. KD or whoever else is at the top may be more talented or more skilled, but I want to outwork guys.”

It’s that work ethic and attention to detail that has separated Kuz from the pack wherever he’s gone. He’s a new spin on a traditional model: an inside-outside super threat, refined through a dedication to the fundamentals—with a few tomahawk dunks and 30-foot trey bombs mixed in. It’s a direction the city and its premier franchise are also desperate for: a squad that can take their team’s history and modernize it for the new NBA.

It’s also why on a slightly foggy Saturday in January, Kuzma found himself driving around L.A. with the top down in a 1970 Cadillac DeVille, a whip both iconic to his new town and one built from the same Michigan foundation as he is. Even for a kid born in ’95, sometimes you gotta stick to the classics.

Now, when you’re Kyle Kuzma, driving around L.A. by itself can attract a fair amount of attention. But when you’re Kyle Kuzma in a bright red Cadillac convertible, you can bring the city’s traffic flow to a frenzy. During his ride, which included a stop at the Forum to pay homage to the great Showtime Lakers of old, Kuz was halted at nearly every conceivable turn.

“KUZ! KUUUUUUZ!”

“Kuzma, shoot the three! Keep shooting that three, Kuz!”

If they didn’t know him months ago, they sure as hell do now. But even his current teammates couldn’t have seen this coming years ago.

“I do not actually [remember Kuzma], he must have sucked back then,” says Lakers guard Tyler Ennis, laughing as he jokingly ribs the rook. “I played him twice, in AAU and in high school. So, it was crazy to see how far he’s come, just because if he was decent I probably would have remembered him. He hit the gym hard and worked his way to where he is now.”

Kuzma admits every player wants that high-profile path to the pros. One that leads from the McDonald’s All-American Game, through one-and-done or All-American collegiate glory, “but it doesn’t work for everybody,” he says. “For me, I’ve had trials and tribulations and it’s not about the end, it’s about the journey and what it takes to get there.”

As a 22-year-old rookie, Kuzma is mature beyond his years and concerned with staying focused on the present. That, and being a great teammate. It’s actually the first attribute both Lakers PGs, Ball and Ennis, point at as to why they love playing with him.

“For me, I try to speak things into existence,” says Kuz. It’s a strategy that’s worked well so far. He says that even dating back to kindergarten, whenever asked what he wanted to be when he grew up, he would always point to the NBA. That no matter the obstacle or struggle, it was always the NBA. Now that he’s here, he’s found there’s only more work to do.

“I know what I can do,” he says. “I know my capabilities and I know I’m going to be doing this for a long time.”

—

SLAM 214 is on newsstands next week!

—

Jack Jensen is a writer living in Los Angeles. Follow him on Twitter @jensenjack.

Video by The Rec League.

Portraits by Geordy Pearson.

The post Kyle Kuzma Has Arrived appeared first on SLAM.

When De’Aaron Fox left the Kings’ game early on Tuesday with an abdominal injury, Garrett Temple was forced to step up. He did that and more, dropping a career-high 34 points (on 14-of-17 shooting) to lead Sacramento to a much-needed W. Willie Cauley-Stein was dominant down low, posting 21 points and nine rebounds to go with five blocks. George Hill — who has been involved in trade rumors lately — was a DNP-CD.

Garrett Temple dropped a casual career-high 34 points to lead the Kings past Orlando (via @SacramentoKings) pic.twitter.com/wAhBCPDt6L

— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) January 24, 2018

Evan Fournier led the Magic with 22 points, followed closely behind by Elfrid Payton (21 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists). Orlando’s biggest issue was turnovers, as the Magic committed 17 of them. Aaron Gordon (16 points, 12 rebounds) struggled with his shot and accounted for seven of those Orlando miscues.

Thunder 109 (27-20), Nets 108 (18-30)

Brooklyn used a big second quarter to build a double-digit lead over Oklahoma City, but the trio of Russ (32 points), Paul George (28 points, 9 rebounds) and Raymond Felton (14 points in 17 minutes) helped the Thunder fight back and take a late lead. Then, with the shot clock off and the Nets down 107-106, Spencer Dinwiddie (13 points, 7 assists) took it right at Carmelo Anthony for a go-ahead layup. However, he left almost seven seconds on the clock which was more than enough for Russ.

Too tough (via @okcthunder) pic.twitter.com/sEYLme7tbU

— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) January 24, 2018

There was still some time left for Brooklyn to tie and win it, though, but Dinwiddie was locked up by Andre Roberson and his game-winning three fell short. OKC has now won five in a row. Joe Harris (19 points on 5-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc) paced the Nets while Jarrett Allen posted a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double.

Spurs 114 (31-18), Cavaliers 102 (27-19)

On a night when a lot of the attention was (deservedly) given to LeBron for reaching the 30,000-point milestone, the Cavaliers’ defense was porous yet again as the Spurs shot 50 percent from the field and were able to stay at arm’s length away from Cleveland all game. LaMarcus Aldridge — fresh off being named to his sixth All-Star team — was unstoppable, scoring a game-high 30 points on an efficient 18 shots. In fact, all five of San Antonio’s starters reached double figures.

19 points, 10 rebounds, 7 steals for @DejounteMurray tonight.

pic.twitter.com/IlCe4KrkUL

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) January 24, 2018

Dejounte Murray, the Spurs’ new starting point guard, also had a big night. The sophomore is taking over for Tony Parker at the helm of Gregg Popovich’s offensive attack and just might be the next incredible San Antonio find. LeBron (28 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists) was his usual self but committed five turnovers and wasn’t too efficient. Cleveland’s 18 turnovers allowed the Spurs to take 24 more field goal attempts.

Warriors 123 (38-10), Knicks 110 (21-27)

The good news for the Knicks is that they played really well for around the first 21 minutes of Tuesday’s game. The bad news is they played the Warriors so when they let up toward the end of the first half and beginning of the second, the Dubs took advantage and never looked back.

Golden State scored 74 points combined in the second and third quarters to grab control of this one from a Knicks team without both Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle O’Quinn. Steph Curry (32 points, 7 assists) overcame a slow start to have a big game while Kevin Durant (14 points, 14 assists) took on more of a distributor role as the night went on. The 14 dimes were a career-high for KD. GSW’s passing was also incredible — the Warriors assisted a remarkable 40 of their 46 made shots.

@StephenCurry30 out here with those fancy passes! pic.twitter.com/Id9VkdiC3E

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) January 24, 2018

Michael Beasley, continuing to take advantage of any playing time he gets, scored 21 points on 15 shots while Courtney Lee (20 points) was locked in from the perimeter. But the defensive lapses New York had against a lethal Warriors team were just too debilitating to recover from.

Lakers 108 (18-29), Celtics 107 (34-14)

Kyle Kuzma might be breaking out of his shooting slump. The rookie led LA’s huge third quarter comeback effort, scoring 28 points in 27 minutes off the bench on 10-of-16 shooting (with 5 threes). It was a well-rounded game for him too, with some slick passes and key rebounds and, most importantly, 0 turnovers.

Point Kuz!!! (via @Lakers) pic.twitter.com/WE5CIDsiLg

— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) January 24, 2018

But it wasn’t a one-man show, as Julius Randle (14 points, 14 rebounds) outplayed All-Star Al Horford down the stretch and made some huge plays in the paint. Jordan Clarkson (22 points) was equally impactful. With Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum struggling, Kyrie Irving (33 points) had to shoulder much of the offensive load.

With that said, this was a one-point game in the final seconds after Kentavious Caldwell-Pope missed a pair of free throws — the Lakers went just 21-for-36 at the line, allowing Boston to hang around down the stretch. Instead of Kyrie trying to make a play, though, Marcus Smart (22 points, 8 assists) took a three for the win which hit the front rim and backboard before harmlessly bouncing out. The loss was Boston’s fourth in a row (and LA’s third-straight win).

The post Post Up: Close Calls appeared first on SLAM.

In response to LaVar Ball‘s claim that Walton isn’t “connecting” with the players, Kuzma said, “We stand by Luke. I know the front office does” (starting at 0:43):

“Luke is my guy. I love playing for him. I’m sure most of us love playing for him too.

 

“We just gotta stay locked in as a family and listen to the people that really matter in our basketball lives, and that’s everybody in this organization.” […]

 

“We stand by Luke. I know the front office does.”

RELATED:
LaVar Ball: ‘They’re Not Playing for Luke [Walton] No More’

The post Kyle Kuzma Says Lakers Players ‘Stand By Luke [Walton]’ appeared first on SLAM.

Kuzma says his squad—which has now lost eight in a row—became selfish after falling behind to OKC.

With Paul George in the house, Lakers 'flat-out gave up' in loss to OKC https://t.co/xpSt4UKe7N

— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) January 4, 2018

Lakers head coach Luke Walton says they “completely stopped competing.”

Per ESPN:

“We gave up,” Kuzma said. “You could see, they got basket after basket, we had no resistance on them on the defensive end and offensive end. When things got tough, we tried to do it individually, and you can’t do that in this league.

 

“They took a little lead, and we just went to being selfish on the floor. We didn’t compete on defense. They killed us. … To lose by [nearly] 40, it is pretty embarrassing to be out there.”

 

The Lakers had a team meeting last Thursday, a “heart-to-heart” in which players aired out their issues, ranging from playing time to the team’s direction building toward next summer when management hopes to revamp the roster.

 

“It felt a little bit like we gave in or we felt sorry for ourselves a little bit, which isn’t who we are as a group,” Walton said of the Lakers, who aside from a six-point double-overtime loss to Houston have lost their other five most recent games by an average of 19.4 points. “I am going to have to check the tape to see why we completely stopped competing out there.”

 

“Our fans deserve better than that, and our organization deserves better than that,” Walton added.

Related
Lakers Hold Team Meeting To Vent Frustrations

The post Kyle Kuzma: Lakers ‘Gave Up’ in Loss to Thunder appeared first on SLAM.

@kylekuzma pic.twitter.com/PoIIaTQETU

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) December 21, 2017

Kuzma sought out Bryant at the start of the season, and The Black Mamba happily took him under his wing.

The 22-year-old’s big night helped Los Angeles put an end to the Houston Rockets’ 14-game winning streak last night.

Per the AP:

“Why not? I scored 30s in summer league, so…,” he said before trailing off.

 

The stakes were a little higher Wednesday night. Kuzma helped the Lakers overcome James Harden’s 51 points and end the Rockets’ winning streak at 14 games with a 122-116 victory.

 

“It’s a better team but it’s the same mentality,” Kuzma said. “I’ve got the same mentality every time I step on the court. I try to play my hardest and just be locked in.”

The post Kobe Bryant Salutes Kyle Kuzma’s Self-Confidence appeared first on SLAM.

Kyle Kuzma had a perfect first half to further solidify his status as one of the best rookies in the game.

Kyle Kuzma’s first half: 24 pts, 9-9 FG, 6-6 3PT. Time to start talking ROY?

(Photo: David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) pic.twitter.com/KpGwJSprJg

— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) December 21, 2017

It turns out the Lakers needed every bit of Kuzma’s eventual career-high 38 points, because James Harden went off for 51 of his own. The win snapped the Rockets’ 14-game winning streak and gave L.A. its first win in well over a week.

Raptors 129 (21-8), Hornets 111 (11-20)

Jeremy Lamb’s career-high 32 points weren’t nearly enough to top three Raptors players with 20-or-more. DeMar DeRozan led the way with 28 points on 10-15 shooting to go with eight assists. Eight of those points came in a second quarter in which Toronto outscored Charlotte 41-21, providing more than enough of a difference. Serge Ibaka had 24 of his own and OG Anunoby had 20.

Right hand. Left hand. Don’t matter, buckets. #RTZ pic.twitter.com/NvpNWorJn6

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) December 21, 2017

Pacers 105 (18-14), Hawks 95 (7-24)

Victor Oladipo had 23 points and the Pacers turned the ball over a season-low nine times in a methodical win over Atlanta. Indiana led by just two at halftime but opened up a 20-point lead in the second half before the Hawks scored the final 10 points of the game. John Collins had 18 points and nine rebounds to lead the Hawks, who have still not won consecutive games this season.

Born Ready! pic.twitter.com/pwXrfNzQr0

— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) December 21, 2017

Kings 104 (11-20), Nets 99 (11-19)

The Nets trailed by as many as 21 but had a shot to tie the game in the final seconds. Down 102-99 with five seconds to go, Spencer Dinwiddie missed a three. He then fouled George Hill, who hit two free throws to put the game out of reach. Hill led all scorers with 22 points, while Zach Randolph had 21. Dinwiddie led the Nets with 16.

“No one’s blocking that shot!” – @grantnapearshow pic.twitter.com/Ctw2MsEvKt

— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) December 21, 2017

Heat 90 (16-15), Celtics 89 (26-8)

Kelly Olynyk scored a career high against his former team, dropping 32 on the Celtics in Boston. The fans greeted Olynyk with a warm ovation before Olynyk ruined their night with a 12-15 shooting game and seven rebounds to go with it. Kyrie Irving missed a shot at the buzzer that would have won it for the Celtics. He had 33 points to lead all scorers.

Wouldn’t expect any less from Kyrie (via @nba) pic.twitter.com/mSJZxwRFnf

— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) December 21, 2017

Bulls 112 (10-20), Magic 94 (11-21)

Winners of seven straight, the lowly Chicago Bulls now own the longest streak in the Eastern Conference. This one came behind 16 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists from Denzel Valentine and 50 percent team shooting for the game. Nikola Vucevic had 18-10-and-5 to lead the Magic, who have now lost six games in a row.

Making it look easy out there! pic.twitter.com/v7VNDbQ7y1

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) December 21, 2017

Thunder 107 (16-15), Jazz 79 (14-18)

The Thunder led 25-9 — yes, 25-9 — after the first quarter and were never threatened, dominating the Jazz for 48 minutes. Russell Westbrook had 24 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists to lead the Thunder, and he even outscored Utah on his own in the first quarter. The Jazz shot just 36 percent for the game, but got 17 points from Rodney Hood, which included three threes.

Oh, and Paul George did this:

PG13! (via @okcthunder) pic.twitter.com/tx1F7UxSJY

— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) December 21, 2017

Mavericks 110 (9-23), Pistons 93 (17-14)

The Mavericks used a 43-28 second quarter in which they shot 79 percent to build a lead in Detroit and cruise to a 17-point victory. Harrison Barnes led the way with 25 points, while Dennis Smith Jr. added 15 more. Anthony Tolliver led the Pistons with 18 points.

Timberwolves 112 (19-13), Nuggets 94 (16-15)

The Timberwolves overcame a 14-point deficit to beat Denver behind 25 points each from Karl Anthony Towns and Jimmy Butler. Minnesota scored 10 of the game’s final 14 points to keep the Nuggets at bay, hitting six free throws in that span. Jamal Murray led all scorers with 30 points.

A little bit of this. A little bit of that. A little bit of basket. pic.twitter.com/QGkjW9tMAz

— Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) December 21, 2017

Spurs 93 (22-10), Trail Blazers 91 (16-15)

CJ McCollum’s off-balance three at the buzzer just missed, giving the Spurs a thrilling win on the road. San Antonio took the lead for good on a Manu Ginobili jumper with 5:04 to play, but the Spurs were never able to build more than a three-point lead as the Blazers answered every shot. LaMarcus Aldridge led all scorers with 22 points, and Pau Gasol added 20 points and 17 rebounds. Damian Lillard had 17 to lead Portland.

“Pure old school.” – @seanelliott_32 pic.twitter.com/W2o5wOI1Qc

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) December 21, 2017

Warriors 97 (25-6), Grizzlies 84 (9-22)

Klay Thompson put on a show in the first half, scoring 27 points to lead the Warriors to their 10th-straight win. As a team, the Warriors held Memphis to just 33 percent shooting despite 21 points from Marc Gasol. Thompson’s 29 total points led all scorers, while Kevin Durant had 22 and eight rebounds.

Pat with the putback DUNK (@nbcsauthentic) pic.twitter.com/WrY50psCCV

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) December 21, 2017

Clippers 108 (12-18), Suns 95 (11-22)

The Clippers got back on track Wednesday with a strong first half and just enough in the second to hold off the Suns. Austin Rivers led the Clippers with 21 points and DeAndre Jordan added 12 points and 20 rebounds. TJ Warren had 22 to lead the Suns, whose brief two-game win streak came to an end.

https://t.co/o1yQFQ4t6M
#PrimeTicket pic.twitter.com/7kDgfHGBSq

— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) December 21, 2017

The post Post Up: Kuz Control appeared first on SLAM.

The Lakers forward took it to a whole other level agains the Rockets.

He scored a career-high 38 points on 7-10 three-point shooting to go with seven rebounds and four assists as L.A. snapped Houston’s 14-game winning streak, 122-16. And if Kuzma’s game stats are impressive, just look at his first half:

Kyle Kuzma’s first half: 24 pts, 9-9 FG, 6-6 3PT. Time to start talking ROY?

(Photo: David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) pic.twitter.com/KpGwJSprJg

— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) December 21, 2017

The highlights from Kuzma’s finest outing yet:

The post Kyle Kuzma Perfect In First Half, Scores 38 In Lakers Win appeared first on SLAM.

Despite a slow start and being down by as many as 19 points, the Lakers came back in a big way to knock off the Bulls. It seemed — at least early on — that Chicago was in complete control of this game and when rookie guard Antonio Blakeney dunked all over Julius Randle and got a technical for staring him down after, L.A. looked like it was checked out.

But then the Lakers closed the third quarter on a 13-4 run to get within three before coming back again in the fourth. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (21 points, 9 rebounds) drilled a few big triples down the stretch while Brandon Ingram (17 points) showed off his improving finishing skills with some strong layups. Lonzo Ball (8 points, 13 rebounds) made some shots as he bounced back from a tough first half.

B.I. gets to the basket and finishes through contact with a circus shot #LakeShow (: @SpectrumSN, @spectdeportes, NBA TV) pic.twitter.com/RgLu5P7OLF

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) November 22, 2017

It was a good win for the Lakers, even with it being against a young rebuilding team in the Bulls. They didn’t shoot particularly well and didn’t have much energy for the first 32 minutes or so, but came together strong late and got contributions from a bunch of their key players. Rookie sensation Kyle Kuzma was good again, scoring 22 points on 15 shots, and Randle added a double-double off the bench.

Lakers battle back tonight to win consecutive home games, beating the Bulls, 103-94 #LakersWin pic.twitter.com/cEtMeH95ML

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) November 22, 2017

The free-flowing Chicago offense from the first half kind of disappeared after the break, as the Bulls relied on too many isolations and contested jumpers. Denzel Valentine led the way with 17 points and 9 rebounds (with 5-of-7 shooting from three) but the Bulls’ other potent perimeter players — like Lauri Markkanen and Justin Holiday — struggled to hit their open looks as the scoring dried up.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

The post Post Up: Never Give In appeared first on SLAM.

Kuz brought out some custom "Joker" Kobe AD Mids : @Lakers pic.twitter.com/7JAIVM7FeS

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 1, 2017

De’Aaron Fox used the Nike Kobe A.D., but in a more lowkey fashion as he rocked a Halloween PE model done in the Joker’s colors. And staying with the purple theme, Tyler Ulis once again brought out the Nike Zoom Kobe IV Prelude to earn SLAM’s Sneaker of the Night.

A couple of Air Jordan Retros were spotted last night as well with Lance Stephenson following up his “Chutney” XIIIs with a pair of the “Thunder” Air Jordan IV. Jerami Grant donned the colorful “Barcelona Days” Air Jordan VII and Langston Galloway continued his strong sneaker campaign with a pair of the Air Jordan V.

Make sure to peep all these kicks along with Paul George‘s incredible Nike PG1 in our Halloween NBA Kicks round-up.

Related
Post Up: Thunder Rising

Photos via Getty Images

The post NBA Halloween Kicks of the Night appeared first on SLAM.