Jared Dudley Sends Instagram Message To Kyle Kuzma

Jared Dudley wished his former Los Angeles Lakers teammate a happy birthday.

Apr 13, 2019; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Jared Dudley (6) reacts as he walks off the court after a victory against the Philadelphia 76ers in game one of the first round of the 2019 NBA Playoffs at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

On Wednesday, Washington Wizards star Kyle Kuzma celebrated his 29th birthday.

Kuzma is coming off a good season where he averaged 22.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists per contest while shooting 46.3% from the field and 33.6% from the three-point range in 70 games.

The former Utah star made a post to Instagram.

Kuzma captioned his post: "😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 it’s up! 29 in this thanngggg! Where my Leo’s at 🦁🦁🦁"

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kyle Kuzma (@kuz)

One person who left a comment was Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Jared Dudley.

Dudley wrote: "Happy bday my guy!"

Jared Dudley's Comment / July 24

Dudley and Kuzma were teammates on the Los Angeles Lakers for two seasons (2019-21).

During the 2020 season, they helped the Lakers win the NBA Championship over Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat.

Oct 11, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) hugs forward Jared Dudley (10) after win over the Miami Heat after game six of the 2020 NBA Finals at AdventHealth Arena. The Los Angeles Lakers won 106-93 to win the series. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports / Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

In addition to the Lakers, Dudley has also spent time with the Brooklyn Nets, Phoenix Suns, Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Clippers and Milwaukee Bucks over 14 seasons in the NBA.

He retired following the 2021 season and has been with Jason Kidd's coaching staff for the previous three years.

Apr 13, 2019; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Jared Dudley (6) argues his foul call with referee Jason Phillips (23) during the second quarter in game one of the first round of the 2019 NBA Playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Meanwhile, Kuzma was traded to the Wizards following the 2021 season.

He has career averages of 17.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists per contest while shooting 45.1% from the field and 33.7% from the three-point range in 476 regular season games.

Apr 3, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma (33) talks with Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) after their game at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports / Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

The Wizards are coming off a season where they were the 14th seed in the Eastern Conference with a 15-67 record.

They have been unable to make the postseason during Kuzma's three seasons with the franchise.