Kyle Kuzma Says He's A ‘Kid In Candy Shop’ Watching LeBron James
Kyle Kuzma is motivated by having LeBron James as a teammate and mentor.
In a recent Instagram Live with international soccer player David Alaba, Kuzma discussed how James is a role model for him.
“I think the biggest thing watching 'Bron is every day, watching what he does,” Kuzma said. “Me, I’m kind of like a little kid in a candy shop watching him. I’m watching everything he does, the way he carries himself, the way he’s always in the gym first. That’s one thing I noticed right away with him. I always take pride in trying to be one of the first few people in the gym. Sometimes, he’s there already working. That speaks to how great he is and how disciplined as a person he is to do something like that 17 straight years. That’s tough to do.”
Alaba, 27, plays soccer for the German club Bayern Munich and the Austria national team. He said Franck Ribery, who plays for ACF Fiorentina, has been a mentor for him.
“I can relate to that with LeBron," Kuzma said. "Same type of thing, me being a young guy in the NBA and arguably the greatest player of all time is someone you can really look up to. That’s pretty crazy.”
Kuzma, 24, recently tagged James in an Instagram post in which he was weight lifting, showing his mentor he’s working hard in anticipation of the NBA season resuming. The Lakers (49-14) are the top team in the Western conference and are hoping to win the franchise’s first championship since 2010.