Kobe & LeBron's lessons, AD trade, Jordan's Bulls vs. Warriors | Best of Draymond Green & Kyle Kuzma

Give me your top 5, not including yourself. I know you will put yourself in the top 5, but just give me a top 5 that you're not in.

What do you mean by that?

Like— Guys in the league.

Guys in the league that dress. Who do I like?

Who you like that's doing it. It's not that just because they not in your top 5, they not dressing, but—— that your top 5. Yeah.

I wouldn't even say top 5. I would say who I like.

Yeah.

Like who I like. I like obviously Jordan Clarkson. I like his swag because it's him. It's himself. And when, when I first came into the NBA, he was on my team. So I got it firsthand. Like, oh, this is a dude that's in fashion that I think is fly. Like I'm looking up to him in certain situations. 'Cause coming in, I'm a rookie. He a 4th, 5th year player. And I'll say him, Frank Jackson.

Ah.

Frank Jackson.

Okay.

You know, I'm not just a top guy, you know, I see him and it's just him, it's organic, it's himself. You know, I love Book and Book swag 'cause it's him. You know, it's certain guys in the league you see, they just put on the designer and they stick it all over themselves, you know, or it's, Everybody wants to dress like Travis Scott now. Everybody wants to do the street stuff, but like, what's your swag? Like, I wanna see your swag. So got those three. Chris Paul is very clean. He keeps it real casual. Very, very, very, very mature-like. I like that. Five is tough.

There's a lot of guys fighting for that spot.

It's a lot of guys. It's a lot of guys. I feel like there was a rookie I liked. Damn. Draymond Green. I like what he's doing in the fashion world. He was out in Paris. He was out in Paris for his first time. And you know, just watching him brand what shows he went to, he's doing the right thing too. So I'm gonna say those 5.

I respect that. That's a good 5. You know who get left out of people 5 then? Who? I have a huge appreciation for is PJ Tucker.

PJ? Oh yeah, PJ. Yeah, PJ is there too.

PJ just a fly. PJ just get it.

Can't hide money.

He just get it. He just get it, man. PJ is there for me.

No, PJ too. But it's so subjective. Yeah, it is. Relative, you know what I'm saying? Like I could say my 5, but I'd be like, oh, well shit, I love PJ too, but I just didn't put him there. No, for sure.

So I can dig that. You get to the Lakers and you're able, you're afforded the opportunity by coming to the Lakers to build a relationship with Kobe.

Yeah.

How to talk an irrational confidence. That's the irrational confidence king, by the way. Oh, for sure. He worked and that irrational confidence just became a part. Like you just, it's became a part of who he is, but that's the irrational confidence. King, how did that relationship help you, especially early on in dealing with like, y'all was getting y'all ass kicked. Lakers fans do not handle that well. How did that relationship help you continue to do what you were doing and deal with the shit that people were starting to say?

You know, the biggest thing he always ever said was keep the main thing, the main thing, right? That was one thing. And two, just like, that was like my North Star. You know what I'm saying? You may never get there, whatever, but it's what you get out of it is what you're trying to reach, right? So the ultimate professional, take care of your body, playing every single game, having this type of mentality like, yo, like I'm here for a reason. This is my purpose. Like my purpose tonight is to kill. My purpose tonight is to go out and help my team win. Like having somebody like that early on my career, I mean, changed everything for me. You know, I could say the same thing about, you know, Bron coming year 2 and seeing it from a player perspective. 'Cause you know, Kobe was here, he was gone retired at this point. So it was just like, you know, word of mouth, but like, Bron, I'm really seeing it too. So, you know, just having that relationship with Kobe, it was, man, it was everything. Yeah. Like I still have the text messages that we just had, never deleted them, you know, just like, just things to go back on, things to think of. Like, like he was just so, he was just so smart, man, about just everything, putting you on game, just of, of things you wouldn't even think of. Like the attention to detail that he had in basketball, he had in life, he had in business, he had in relationships. And like, that's what I want for my life.

Speaking of Bron coming here, when Bron came, the Lakers traded a lot of pieces. And I remember during that time, I know a lot of people don't, but I remember during that time, it came down to like, what pieces were they gonna trade?

Yeah.

Because it was you, it was B.I., it was Jordan Clarkson, it was the list, Josh Hart, Lonzo, the list goes on and on. And it comes down to what pieces are we gonna trade? And they ultimately decide to stick with you and trade Brandon Ingram. And that time, I'm not even sure you realized that was going on at that time in the business because you were so young. I realized it was going on. But if you did realize that that was going on, what did that do for your confidence that they essentially chose you?

I mean, that they believe that I'm a winning player and I'm somebody that can bring a championship to this organization. I mean, what more? And none of this was never said, right? It's just, I'm reading your actions. Your actions are telling me you believe in me 'cause you didn't trade me, right? And you think whatever role I may put in, whatever you think that's gonna help y'all win a championship.

Absolutely.

So that just gave me even more confidence. You know what I mean? And shit, it worked out.

It definitely did. I think the thing that people don't realize is when you make decisions like that, and so some people who don't understand winning.

Right.

And basketball to a certain extent, but definitely don't understand winning will say, "Oh man, but Brandon Ingram has been an All-Star." Right. "So that was the wrong move." Right. But if you understand winning, what I say is, but they won a championship.

Right.

And so regardless of what your thoughts could be on that topic, they won a championship and that automatically trumps everything.

100%.

And it's funny because I was telling Trav earlier, you know Trav, Travis is my trainer. I was telling Trav earlier, I said, Kuz coming today. He like, oh, Kuz is coming today, I forgot. I'm like, yeah. He's like, damn, that's dope. And then he goes into this whole, he goes into this whole spiel about your time with the Lakers.

Yeah.

And he starts discussing that move.

Right.

And the reality is the one thing that we discussed, and you said it, I'm not sure that team still wins if they, keep B.I. over you because of the skill sets. Like, all of these pieces have to fit in.

Have to.

And what you brought to that team, you were like, you and KCP were the shooters. Like, y'all had Danny Green. Danny was kind of up and down that year, but you and KCP were the constants in shooting. And I'm not sure, especially at that point in the career, Like, B.I. now, he'd knock it down left and right. But at that time, he was getting it and driving right.

Right.

And I don't think people realize how impactful that move was. Because if that never happens and this team doesn't win, that y'all team don't win a championship, what does that look like for Bron? Are the Lakers as an organization still honorable to Bron? You know, what does that look like for A.D.? It's like, are they crushing him because they haven't won a championship yet? And I don't think people realize how moves, certain moves play into that. Like they'll never give you credit for that championship, but I recognize it.

No, I appreciate that.

I recognized how you went from, oh man, I need to score, score, score, score, to passing up shots. I recognize how you went from doing so much off the dribble to like, nope, my role is to shoot this ball. I recognize the winning plays and I hit you and I say, yo, I'm watching you play. You've changed. Like it was a total 360. And I'd imagine, and you can tell me, I'd imagine Bron and his tutelage and learning from him has something to do with that.

Well, I think for me, like you kind of hit it on the head, right? You can put, and we're talking about winning championships right now, You know, the average fan, you know, they look at just shit on paper, right? Paper don't tell the whole story. Chemistry is, chemistry and fit are the most important things to win a championship, right or wrong? What would you say? Right?

It's more important than talent. You have to have talent.

You could put, you could have—

But if it don't fit, don't matter.

You could put 4 All-Stars on a team and on paper it looks like, oh shit, they're gonna win a championship. But how do you know? Is that third or fourth All-Star that you bring in, is he willing to now act like a fourth option?

Facts.

You know what I'm saying? Like me, I was willing in my first two years in league, my second year in league, I averaged 19 and 5. Like that's loud numbers for a second year player.

Absolutely.

Right? But I don't play basketball for that shit. Like I play basketball to win and win games. And whatever role I got thrust with, one, I'm gonna do it. 'Cause one, I'm on LeBron James team. Let's keep it 100 right now. Like you're on that team and you see that man and him being a professional, like you're gonna fall in line because it's a certain excellent standards and you don't wanna let somebody down that cares so much about winning and this, like you wanna be part of that too, right or wrong? Absolutely. You know what I'm saying? So, You know, for me, I don't, you know, I always feel a certain type of way. I did feel a certain type of way. I'm at peace now. I don't care. You know, you didn't win, you didn't do this. I was the third leading scorer on an NBA championship team.

Absolutely.

How many people saying that? Not many.

Not many.

But granted me being selfless and having no ego in that situation, 'cause it couldn't have been easy. I could have just, ran with the excuse, "Oh, you know, they ain't give me a fair shot and I didn't do this and I do that." But if you know me and you know me personally, I'd tell you that was the best thing that ever happened to me in my career.

One, how do you feel about comparing eras? This era—

It's oblivious. To that era. It doesn't make no sense.

I think it's ridiculous.

—It makes no sense because like you cannot compare the '60s. And granted, I did see what Jerry West said and I love Jerry West. He's an OG and he's a savage for what he said. 'Cause that's some real shit. You know what I mean? Listen, you got it.

You got it. Ain't nobody saying nothing back to Logo.

You definitely not. No, sir. But it's certain things you can't prepare. Like, and I'm not trying to disrespect nobody, but like, The point guards of today are unbelievably talented. They're way more elite than any point guard in the history of any, like, you know what I'm saying? From an athletic standpoint, man, granted, you know, Magic Johnson. Yes, he's coming in this era and he's whooping ass straight up.

Any era.

Any era, he's whooping ass. Isaiah Thomas, he's whooping ass. You know what I mean? Allen Iverson, he's whooping it. It's all relative. So you're just, you're just thieving the joy outta a lot of things when you just compare and you want to like, do that. Like, it doesn't make no sense. Like, like I saw your tweet, you talked about the game was from the free throw line and in, right?

Absolutely.

Y'all just gonna pack the paint, right? And you're just gonna be on the string defensively, right? But what are they gonna do? Like, granted, they're gonna have a game plan and a scheme too, but y'all have seen that, y'all understand and know how to play that. They, in the '90s, that would never see playing a 4-point line defense.

Absolutely.

They've never seen that before. You guys have seen it. So that's already the advantage in my eyes, at least.

I agree 100%. Like, you know, people has been, it's a 3-part statement actually.

Right.

And the first part being, I don't understand why People compare errors, but when they do, I had a question. Do they take into account the difference in styles? Because there's no way they can be taking into account the difference of styles because I am sitting here watching, and I was literally sitting, I watched the entire game 5 of the 1998 Finals.

Mm-hmm.

Chicago Bulls versus Utah Jazz. And I'm sitting here watching the game and I'm like, man, Rodman is incredible. Like MJ is amazing. Pip incredible. Karl Malone insane. John Stockton, John Stockton, although they had his ass bottled up something crazy. Oh, for sure. Him and Hornacek had no chance. They had no chance. But, and I'm appreciating all of their greatness, right? But I'm watching it and I couldn't help but say, I just don't understand how you can compare us to this team.

Right.

Not that Michael Jordan isn't great or the greatest player, or however you wanna slice it. It's not taking anything away from that.

Right.

Not one bit. But just the style of basketball alone. I mean, there's a guy catching it at the free throw line, a guy cutting to the corner, and the guy flashing to the post.

Right.

There's no spacing. And so I'm watching that and I'm like, the point that I was making was, you see what I'm saying? We'll beat this team by 20 and we'll beat them by 40. The actual point that I was making is, and that's why it's dumb to compare errors.

It's dumb. And then it's also play styles and it's officiating. Well, are we gonna play with hand checks or are we gonna play freedom of movement?

Facts.

Right? There's certain teams that can get away with certain things. Like I believe if the, the Showtime Lakers, they would fucking dominate this era. 'Cause they were, man, I was watching Magic in the '80s, just highlights, like earlier in the summer. People don't realize, yo, he was fast as shit.

He was.

No, no, he was fast as hell. Like he was getting the rebound, pshh, up the court in 3 dribbles. And that's the NBA now, right?

Absolutely.

Right or wrong? Kill. But certain teams might've been a little different. Great, you have great players, whatever. Jordan be in this era, he's averaging crazy numbers too, regardless, even crazier numbers.

For sure.

Right? Now it might be a different type of, if Jordan played in this era, it might be like, yo, ain't nobody touching him. You know, from a point standpoint, a championship standpoint, but you can't compare it. It's just too tough.

That's my whole sentiment. I hope people one day understand that. Do you remember AOL? Are you old enough to remember AOL?

Yeah, You Got Mail.

Yeah, of course. Dial-up. Can you compare AOL to high-speed internet today, of today?

No chance.

Was AOL great when we used it?

Amazing.

Okay. The internet great?

Amazing.

But just because the internet great doesn't mean AOL wasn't great when it was being used, right?

You can't compare AIM Messenger to DMs, bro.

Why in the fuck can't we do that with basketball?