LAS VEGAS—Given the fact that the NBA Los Angeles Lakers now have two established superstars in LeBron James and Anthony Davis, 23-year old forward Kyle Kuzma thought he might have to wait his turn before stepping on center stage on that glamor team.
But the 6-9 forward, who averaged 18.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists playing with James last season, is one of the rising stars in this league and, because of the sheer number of players who withdrew from consideration for this team in a non-0lympic year, has gone from being a fringe roster player to a near lock to make the final roster on a untested U.S. National team that will participate in the FIBA World Cup next month in China.
This will be a long journey, lasting 40 days. The team will play Spain in an exhibition in California next week before flying to Australia for three more exhibitions, then onto Shanghai for the start of a 17 day tournament. Kuzma has already been to China once this summer for a Nike promotional tour and the Lakers will play an exhibition on the Mainland in October.
“I’m ecstatic,’’ he said. “I’m all in. Basketball is a global brand. The people in China love basketball. It’s good for branding. China is the biggest market out there—for both me and the NBA.
Kuzma, along with guard Donovan Mitchell and small forward Jayson Tatum who were all part of the 2017 draft class, all have a chance to be breakout stars in this international tournament. Others from the 2017 class who are minicamp include center Bam Adebayo and point guard De’Aaron Fox, who should make the team as a point guard.
“I want to be a great player,’’ Kuzma said. “A lot of us want to prove what we can do. So, for me to have to opportunity to play for USA Basketball and have a chance to go and win a medal, you can’t beat them. You don’t get that opportunity all the time.
“I want it all. I want a lot of accomplishments in my career, and I think this is a good steppingstone. When I’m 37, 38, I don’t want to say I wish I had played FIBA when I was 24. I don’t want to have any regrets.’’
This was the last practice before an intra- squad scrimmage that will take place Friday night at the T Mobile Arena off the Strip. Two players -guard Kyle Lowry (thumb surgery) and guard Marcus Smart (bruised left calf) will not participate.
Kuzma had no idea he would be on a fast track when he grew up in Flint, Mich., a bi-racial child who was raised by his mother and Larry Smith, the father of his half-brother and half-sister, having seen his biological father once.
Kuzma described Flint as a violent place but viewed basketball as a safe haven. He averaged 17.9 points, 24.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 3.4 blocks as a junior at Bentley High School before sending out tapes of his shooting at the YMCA to prep schools. Vin Sparacio, the head coach of Rise Academy in Philadelphia, saw Kuzma the 6-6, 175-pound raw project who had a great feel for the game and brought him in as a high school senior. Kuzma averaged 22 points and 7 rebounds and received offers from UConn, Iowa State, Tennessee and Missouri before deciding on Utah.
Kuzma enrolled at Utah in 2013 and red shirted his freshman year but became a starter as a sophomore and was a first team All- Pac-12 selection after averaging 16.4 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists as a junior in 2017 and declared for early entry. He and was the 27th overall pick by the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA draft, but was traded to the Lakers on draft night. Kuzma had a breakout summer, being named MVP of the NBA Summer League in Vegas. He became a starter as rookie and was named to the 2018 NBA All Rookie first team.
Kuzma continued to blossom during last season during a non-playoff season with the Lakers. He scored 37 points against San Antonio in October during a 143-142 loss and scored a career high 41 points against Detroit in January. He was selected to the NBA Rising Stars game for a second straight year and earned MVP honors after scoring a game high 39 points.
Kuzma was one of the first wave of invitees. He started this week slowly but is starting to come on as the week progressed.
Winning a gold medal in China is the ultimate goal. But Kuzma also believes this experience should better prepare him for the upcoming season when his Lakers will be under the spotlight again. “A lot of players they always say when they come back from USA, they have career years and they’re just more confident, more poised.’’
