Kyle Kuzma talks about his first season with the Wizards after leaving the Lakers, emphasizing that keeping Kristaps Porziņģis, Bradley Beal, and Monte Morris healthy is crucial to competing in the East. He credits team chemistry built through early camps as the foundation for success and outlines his goals: lead by example, improve teammates, and make the All-Star team.
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What's up everybody? It's Draymond Green. Make sure you subscribe to the Volumes YouTube channel below so you don't miss any more of this great content going forward. You're then traded to the Washington Wizards, which you just finished your first year there. How was your first year with the Wizards and moving to the Eastern Conference just overall? How was that for you?
You know, it was a lot different, you know, going from,, you know, organization as the Lakers magnitude to another organization. That was my first time ever getting traded, being in that type of situation. So not really knowing what to expect. And there's always the bumps in the road and things you have to adjust to, you know, but, you know, I think it was a great learning year for me. Like, like people look to me as like, you know, I wanted me and KCP, we came there, we won a championship. We were only, winners on that team. And, you know, to go there and people like respect what you say, and not saying people in LA didn't on the team, but you know, I'm the young dude.
Absolutely.
You know what I'm saying?
No doubt.
I got too much respect from like just an OG standpoint. And it was hard for me a little bit to like, you know, maybe get on Bron, get on Rondo, you know, say something to AD. These are fucking, people I grew up watching, you know what I mean? But to come to this situation, it's like, Kuz, what you think? You know, what you think about this, the physical? What are we doing? You know, what's missing? Like those type of things, like that's invaluable to have. That's more important than anything to me. 'Cause like, I love to feel a part of things and, you know, just learning and taking everything I've implemented in my career from, you know, those learning situations situations, but also now being to show myself and show my ass off. It was a success, but there's more. That was a small win, but there's more big wins to accomplish, you know, 'cause losing sucks, you know, be honest with you. Like we had a—
Oh no.
Yeah. You know, losing is not fun.
Yeah.
You know, so I'm optimistically taking that for a win for myself, but it still doesn't sit right. 'Cause you don't win. If you don't win, you don't get to the playoffs, yo. It's a shitty season. Nobody wants to be done in April, you know, but we'll figure it out.
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My brother Brad Bill, real one.
Love to see guys get their money.
Yep.
Like you go through a lot in this business, ton of money being made. Love to see guys get their dues. So congrats to Brad. You got, obviously you coming back in with another year under your belt. Porzingis, who y'all brought in last year, who I thought rediscovered himself quite a bit.
Yeah.
I think he'll, you know, that'll be a huge help to y'all. But what needs to happen to kind of bring that all together and start competing in the East for y'all?
You know, it's all about chemistry. You know, we starting that early. We're having a mini camp, you know, we're getting together. Like that shit is important. And that's all I know. 'Cause like once you win, that's all you really know. And I know from, you know, when we won a championship with the Lakers, everybody was cool, everybody was close. You know, we had amazing chemistry and that's one, the most important thing. And two, we just gotta stay healthy. Like, you know, at a point in time for most of the season we were like, you know, top 8 in the East. But then we had a lot of injuries, a lot of situations, a lot of trades happen, you know. But if we can get Porzingis to be healthy, Brad to be healthy, Brad played about 50 games. You know, we missed Rudy for 35 games. So we have opportunity to do something and it should be a lot of motivation. We got a lot of hungry dudes. Like Bragg just got paid and he wants to show the world that he's a winner. You don't think he's sick and tired of being everybody saying like, oh, he's just in DC for the money. Oh, he wants to win. You know what I mean? Monte coming over, he wants to show that, oh, I can take another step. Like I'm not just a backup.
Absolutely.
You know what I'm saying? I got steps. Porzingis, KP, he got, yo, I can stay healthy. So like, I feel like when you have a situation like that where it's guys that have something to prove, the care factor is higher.
No doubt. And going into your 6th year.
6.
Crazy. Fly by, fly by. I'm going to year 11. I got drafted yesterday.
Crazy.
Like it fly by. But going into your 6th year, what's some of them goals, personal goals that you wanna reach?
Biggest thing is I just wanna lead and I wanna make others better, make others happier. You know, I feel like this summer's been great for my mental. You know, it's not about putting expectations on yourself. It's about controlling what you can control. And I know that I can make others better. I know I can make people feel good and also I can lead. So if I can do that, everything that I want is naturally gonna happen, you know, just organically. So, you know, that's just my focus.
All right, this me you talking to, not none of these old media people that be talking. Now don't give me the bullshit political answer. Now give me some of them personal goals. Nah, that's a real goal, bro. I need some personal goals. That's a real goal. What's this mark I'm trying to get? I'm trying to be an all-star. I wanna be all this.
I definitely need that. I may wanna be different.
Offensive Player of the Year, I know that award got my name written all over it 'cause I should have got it this year, but then I got fucked up. So, you know, but like I need some of them goals.
No, I definitely need that All-Star for sure. Need that 100%. I mean, I already got a ring. So if I'm an All-Star and a champion, what are you gonna tell me? You think I'll wear crazy shit now?
Boy. That sounds familiar. Don't let me win a fucking championship.
Do not let me be a fucking All-Star. I'm telling you right now.
As you should, by the way.
Appreciate that.
As you should. Approach everything like that. I think you do. But I have an appreciation for guys in this league. Like, I feel like you come in this league and you're kind of taught to back down. Like, you're taught like, "Oh man, there's this hierarchy and you need to respect that hierarchy." Like, I remember me coming like, "Fuck that." No. Last year, don't let me win a championship. And I'm telling y'all, we gonna win a championship. I have a huge appreciation for guys like standing in and standing on who they are. You know? And like I told you from the very beginning, you in fashion, like it speaks.
Right.
You know, like you said, it's art. It talks for you.
Right.
And I don't know if I'm— I feel like you know that. I'm sure you know that. But it does. And as someone, like I told you, I admire it because not many people have that confidence that like, "Oh no, this is what I'm doing." And it's cool.
I mean, for me, it's just like, I'm a man, you know what I'm saying? Like I was always taught like, "Yo, you gotta stand on what you believe in and what you do." You know, if you don't, what else you gonna stand on? You know, that's just what I come from. So like the things that I do, the things that I want to do, like it's what I want to do. It's not what you want to do. It's not what you want me to do, you know, 'cause that's not gonna make me happy. You're not going to the grave with me. So why do I care what you think? Or why am I backing down or closing my light off because you're not comfortable with it?
