I have that blue-collar mentality. I've always played with a chip on my shoulder, and I've always been hungry to learn.
— Kyle Kuzma
I wanted to explore the world and explore life. I wanted to have more to life than Flint.
I'm very cautious of how I'm presented and my type of reputation.
It's very important, especially in the basketball culture. We like our fashion. Coming into the NBA, you definitely have to step it up because you're competing on and off the floor. Not only on the court, basketball-wise, but a lot of us take pride in our style, too.
Being from Flint, especially in the basketball community, is a big deal. Basketball in Flint, you're pretty much like a god there if you play college basketball or are lucky enough to make it to the NBA.
Lifestyle-wise, like L.A. in general, Utah is very conservative, very laid back, and L.A. is nothing like that.
I was always thankful for the YMCA. Of course, growing up, you don't really think about it, because when you're a kid, you're in your own world. But back then, it was just so much. I'm going to go the Y, hanging out, playing games all day, playing basketball.
Everyone said I would be a second-round pick or undrafted guy - that's all I heard coming to the draft - but I had a higher faith. I knew I was way better than that, better than how people pegged me.
I'm just comfortable all over the floor.
It doesn't take much to give back.
I always tried to be an all-around player. In college, I felt like I needed to add to my game to get to another level, to get to the NBA. The NBA has really turned to positionless basketball, so it was very important to me to have an all-around game so I could stand out in front of other guys.
My favorite commentator, NBA-wise, is probably Doris Burke.
Every single year, there's gonna be something else that people say I can't do or that you can't do in general. And it's your job to prove them wrong.
I'm the 27th pick - not too many people thought I was gonna play the way I am. It's just a testament to having confidence and work ethic and believing in yourself and keeping the marathon going.
You know how you're in elementary school and the teacher goes around the room and, like, 'What do you want to be when you grow up?' I said, 'NBA player.' And she's like, 'Well, OK. Maybe pick a real job.' But I really believed it. I felt like I was meant to be here.
In high school, AAU, even prep school, I didn't really know how to play basketball. It was kind of like, 'Let's throw the balls out, go get buckets, just score, and go play.'
When I joined the Lakers and moved to L.A., I started getting more serious about collecting sneakers and dressing from the feet up.
Really, every time I post something, it goes viral.
I was excited about going to the Lakers because they are probably the biggest brand in basketball.
There's not that many tough guys that really talk trash in the NBA.
I'm always confident, always expect high expectations for myself.
Flint is a very tough place to live. The environment is definitely a different type of environment than anywhere else in the country, I feel like.
It's a great feeling when people recognize you, but at the same time, you gotta take it with a grain of salt, continue to work so you get better, because people can change on you; thoughts can change.
A lot of people think it takes millions of dollars to give back or inspire, but just you showing up means a lot.
I cherish being on the court, and I really love watching basketball, women's basketball, whatever it is.
Coming from Flint, I was really immature on the court and off the court.
Everybody wants to be a starter, and I feel like I'm a starter in this league, but I can't necessarily control that.
I went to school at the University of Utah, and they had outstanding facilities and coaches that helped me grow and mature as a person.
I don't want to be one of those guys who makes it somewhere and forgets where they come from. Flint is very important to me.
There's always going to be obstacles and people that doubt you. So it's about proving people wrong and bettering yourself and trying to be the best you.
Every team has problems. Championship teams have problems and whatnot.
After college, I really looked at every single shot that I shot. Pretty much every shot in my sophomore year and my junior year and just watched my form. I watched how I shot it from 3, and I just noticed I was a very undisciplined shooter.
LeBron is a role model in that sense. Because for him to be as good as he is and how high up he is on the totem pole, to still care about Akron, Ohio, that is tremendous and speaks volumes.
As a kid, I always loved sneakers and style.
On draft day, I wasn't really nervous at all. Then you turn on the draft, the first five picks go by, and then you still thinking, 'Oh man, I don't know where I'm going to go.' It's really just, by the time draft hits, that's when you get nervous.
My mom did so much for us, working two jobs, driving us where we needed to go and a million other things. She taught me the importance of hard work and sacrifice.
People really don't watch TV no more - it's all about social media. I think it's a great platform for showing off your brand, who you are, interacting with fans, interacting with people in general.
I'm just very confident at all times. I've always been like that, no matter who's guarding me or who I'm on the court with.
It's cool to be a Laker: that's basketball royalty, in a sense. The best franchise in basketball, so to be drafted by them is pretty cool, pretty special.
Growing up, I was a Detroit Pistons fan, being from Flint. During not the Bad Boys but Chauncey Billups and Ben Wallace era, and growing up, I always wanted to be a Piston.
I'm talented, but my work ethic has pushed me over the top.
I was a young kid, and the YMCA was my second home, where my mom was dropping me off for seven, eight hours. I'd spend the day doing what I love: hoop.
Utah is a very special place for me. It helped me a lot.
People assume that, as an NBA athlete, you can get access to any kind of sneaker you want, when in reality, it's hard to get the exclusive releases or shoes from the past and feel confident they're authentic.
I just try to be a regular dude.
I put a lot of work into my game every single day.
Growing up, I was always that kid that kinda watched All-Star Weekend on TV, every event.
A lot of rookies don't come into the league and have that type of leeway that Coach Walton and his staff really gave me.
Once I got to college, I didn't know defensive rotations; my footwork was sloppy. I used to travel every other play.
There are endless possibilities for what I can wear on and off the court.
