Kyle Kuzma got into a minor spat with Cavaliers fans and media recently. The Washington Wizards paid a visit to Cleveland last week and took a decisive victory over the Cavaliers. During the game, Kuzma had a brief exchange with fans in the crowd who heckled him. They held up a sign that said, “LeBron Got Kuzma his RING!” Kuzma sniped back at the fans saying that they led LeBron James away from the Cavaliers and that they wouldn’t hold up without him.
A local news network in Cleveland wouldn’t let that go lightly. They responded on behalf of the fans mentioned above while airing Kyle Kuzma’s postgame conference. The line under Kuzma’s name, taking after the fans’ sign, read that he won an NBA championship thanks to LeBron. The fifth-year forward again responded in short.
“City of Cleveland we have something in common, nice too meet you”
Kyle Kuzma
Both the city of Cleveland and Kyle Kuzma share championship victories with LeBron James. The superstar forward led the Cavaliers to glory in 2016, and with Kuzma and company in LA, bringing home another one four years later. With the latter, James became the 3rd player ever to win the NBA championship with a third team. If nothing else, this seemingly lighthearted dispute between Kuzma and the Cavaliers faithful highlights LeBron James as an all-time NBA great.
Kyle Kuzma: L.A. to D.C.
This past offseason, the Los Angeles Lakers parted ways with Kyle Kuzma, trading him alongside Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Montrezl Harrell for Russell Westbrook. While all of the attention went toward the newly established all-star trio in LA, Washington has made do with the return they received. With one of the deepest rosters in the NBA this season, the Wizards have started hot. Having won nine of their opening twelve games, they currently rank atop the Eastern Conference.
Kyle Kuzma’s number may not have differed much from his time in LA. However, his approach appears to have changed. With that, he seems to fit much better in the nation’s capital. As the season progresses, we’ll see if he can take another step in his performance and assume a larger role on this emergent Wizards team.
