Getty Images Kyle Kuzma of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Kyle Kuzma found himself in a bit of hot water over some comments he made while mic’d up against the Boston Celtics, prompting his mom, Karri Kuzma, to come to his defense on social media.
In a clip during warmups, Kuzma appeared to hint that the crowd playing in Boston was better than Staples Center — the Los Angeles Lakers home court.
“L.A. all the stars come out,” Kuzma could be heard saying. “Here, it’s different.”
Kyle Kuzma knows he mic’d up and still said the crowd is better at the Garden than Staples lmfao
That obviously caught the ire of some of the purple and gold faithful. Jared Weiss, who covers the Celtics for The Athletic, tweeted out the comments from Kuzma and got a heated response from mama Kuzma.
“First off he never said it was better. He said it was different. He said all the stars come out in LA, but in Boston everyone knows it’s [different],” she tweeted. “Louder and rowdier. Nice try!”
Kyle Kuzma’s Mom Got to See Him Play in Detroit
There’s been limited attendance at games this season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Karri Kuzma recently got to catch her son play when the Lakers took on Detroit.
The Lakers lost to the Pistons 107-92, but Kuzma had a solid game starting for Anthony Davis, putting up 22 points and 10 rebounds.
“I bet she was very, very happy to be there,” Kuzma told reporters after the game, per SB Naton’s Harrion Faigen. “A couple of my cousins came as well. My mom has been going through a tough time recently. One of her best friends just passed away, so I’m sure her seeing her boy starting, playing the Pistons where I’m from, means everything to her. I’m glad she was able to be there for that.”
Kuzma had some company in the bubble last season during the Lakers’ championship run, but his mom was not among the visitors. So seeing her son play during this time is a special experience and will be until things are back to normal.
Kyle Kuzma Hints That Restrictions Keeping Team From Bonding
Getty ImagesKyle Kuzma of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Chemistry is the secret ingredient for any championship run, which the Lakers seemed to have in spades last season. But Kuzma said that’s been harder to build this season with all the restrictions in place, especially with so many new faces on the roster.
“Obviously it still is a mental toll. Everybody is locked away in their rooms and it’s still a pandemic out here,” Kuzma told reporters. “That’s not an excuse to lose at all, but just every day, human life, yeah, for sure, it’s always going to be a mental toll.”
Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka shared a similar sentiment recently with Mike Bresnahan of Spectrum SportsNet.
“We’re happy with where we are but I think there will still be growth in the team.” Earlier today, Rob Pelinka sat with @Mike_Bresnahan to discuss the #Lakers season so far and LeBron’s MVP-caliber start to 2021.
“So I think it’s going to take a little bit longer to get a real sense, for any team in the league; maybe it’s going to be 30 or 35 games until you get a real sense,” Pelinka said. “I think we’re happy with our progress so far, the new guys and how they’ve molded together. I think there will still be growth and every game we want to get better.”
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