Kyle Kuzma
| No. 0 – Los Angeles Lakers | |
|---|---|
| Position | Power forward |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | July 24, 1995 Flint, Michigan |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Listed weight | 222 lb (101 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Bentley (Burton, Michigan) |
| College | Utah (2014–2017) |
| NBA draft | 2017: 1st round, 27th overall pick |
| Selected by the Brooklyn Nets | |
| Playing career | 2017–present |
| Career history | |
| 2017–present | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Kyle Alexander Kuzma (born July 24, 1995) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Kuzma played college basketball for the University of Utah before entering the NBA.
High school and College career
Kuzma attended Bentley High School in Michigan before transferring to Rise Academy in Philadelphia and then enrolled at the University of Utah in 2013. He redshirted his first year due to the fact that he signed late. His college career featured double-digit scoring averages as a sophomore and junior, pouring in 16.4 points per game in his final year with the Utes, while pulling down 9.3 rebounds and handing out 2.4 assists a contest. For his efforts, he was recognized with 2017 All-Pac-12 First Team honors.[1]
After the conclusion of the 2016–17 campaign, Kuzma announced to forgo his senior year to enter the 2017 NBA draft.[2]
College statistics
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014–15 | Utah | 31 | 0 | 8.1 | .456 | .324 | .556 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 3.3 |
| 2015–16 | Utah | 36 | 35 | 24.1 | .522 | .255 | .611 | 5.7 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 10.8 |
| 2016–17 | Utah | 29 | 29 | 30.8 | .504 | .321 | .669 | 9.3 | 2.4 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 16.4 |
| Career | 96 | 64 | 21.0 | .506 | .302 | .631 | 5.5 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 10.1 | |
Professional career
Los Angeles Lakers (2017–present)
Rookie season
On June 22, 2017, Kuzma was selected with the 27th overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft by the Brooklyn Nets. On June 22, 2017, Kuzma was traded, along with Brook Lopez, to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for D'Angelo Russell and Timofey Mozgov.[3] On July 3, 2017, Kuzma signed his rookie scale contract with the Lakers.[4]
During the seven out of eight games he played for the Lakers (starting in six of the games) in the 2017 NBA Summer League, Kuzma led the team in points scored and became a consistent presence during the event. He recorded averages of 21.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.4 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game and was named to the All-Summer League Second Team that year. He was also named the Summer League Championship Game MVP after recording a double-double of 30 points and 10 rebounds in a 110–98 win over the Portland Trail Blazers in the championship match.
Awards and honors
- College
- First-team All-Pac-12 (2017)
Personal life
Kuzma described growing up in his hometown, “as a really violent place and there’s a lot of temptation to get into the streets.” However, Kuzma saw basketball as a “safe haven”. Kuzma's parents put a small Fisher-Price basketball rim in the living room for him when he was only two years old, thus igniting his passion for basketball.[5]
References
- ^ "Kuzma Named to All-Pac-12 First Team". University of Utah Athletics. March 6, 2017. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
- ^ Hein, Brett (May 3, 2017). "Utah basketball's Kyle Kuzma to hire agent, remain in NBA Draft". Standard-Examiner. Retrieved 2017-05-26.
- ^ "BROOKLYN NETS ACQUIRE D'ANGELO RUSSELL AND TIMOFEY MOZGOV FROM L.A. LAKERS". NBA.com. June 22, 2017. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
- ^ "Lakers Sign Ball, Kuzma and Hart". NBA.com. July 3, 2017. Retrieved July 4, 2017.
- ^ https://www.earnthenecklace.com/kyle-kuzma-wiki-summer-league-parents-stats-facts/