Kyle Kuzma recalls Kobe's advice to "keep the main thing the main thing" and how LeBron's professionalism shaped his approach to winning. Being kept over Brandon Ingram when LeBron arrived boosted his confidence, and he credits LeBron with teaching him to evolve from scorer to role player focused on spacing.
Chapters
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 get to the Lakers and you're able, you're afforded the opportunity by coming to the Lakers to build a relationship with Kobe.
Yep.
How to talk an irrational confidence. That's the irrational confidence king, by the way. Oh, for sure. Now, he worked, And that irrational confidence just became a part, like you just, it just 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.
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, you know, 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 in 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. 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. So.
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. In 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.
Hennessy celebrates those who never stop, never settle in their never-ending pursuit of greatness. Maurice Ashley lives his passion. An inspiring story of intellect and brilliance. His ability to push the potential of his own mind to new levels of greatness is universally inspiring. In the world of the mind, there are no limits. Hennessy, never stop, never settle. If you wanna learn more about Maurice Ashley, visit www.hennessy.com. 21+, please drink responsibly. 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 is funny because I was telling Trav earlier, you know Trav.
Yeah.
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.
Yep.
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 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 AD? 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 said, "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, 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 3rd or 4th All-Star that you bring in, is he willing to now act like a 4th option?
Facts.
You know what I'm saying? Like me, I was willing in my first 2 years in league, my 2nd year in league, I averaged 19 and 5. Like that's loud numbers for a second year player.
Absolutely. Right?
But I don't, 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 care 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. I was a player that all I looked like, you said it first, I was looking to score. I was looking to get a bucket, do this, that. But I didn't do shit else. Didn't wanna defend, you know, didn't really put too much effort in rebound even though I was a really good rebounder in college. Didn't always make the right pass, tunnel vision. But going through that situation, that made me a better basketball player. And everybody in the world saw that last year. I was doing everything, you know what I mean? So I always look at things from a positive standpoint 'cause there's no point to dwell on shit. There's no point. And that was probably one of the best things that ever happened to me in my career. Like just being in that situation, Lakers keeping me, me realizing, oh, there's more to basketball than, than just this. And then ultimately winning a championship with the Lakers. So that's history. Draymond Green.
