Getty
PORTLAND, OREGON – MAY 07: Anthony Davis #3 and Kyle Kuzma #0 of the Los Angeles Lakers react during the third quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on May 07, 2021 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
The strangest news of the NBA came from former Los Angeles Lakers players Anthony Davis and Kyle Kuzma arguing about who deserves blame for the 2020s team falling off. A dominant 2019-2020 regular season saw the Lakers winning the 2020 NBA Championship in the bubble. However, things fell apart quickly after with the team never making the NBA Finals again and the core ending via trades and free agency.
Kuzma created headlines by dropping the following comment on a social media post about the Lakers moves now getting compared to the early 2020s roster:
“You can’t get a center when two people making $600 million lol”
Davis responded by leaving his own Instagram comment replying to Kuzma:
“Stop it, 0. Lol”
Both sides seemed friendly enough and didn’t try to make it hostile by directly insulting each other for no reason. Kuzma believes that Davis and LeBron James made too much money for the Lakers to truly add more pieces for the depth that everyone wanted.
Davis has a history of not wanting to play center since he’s more comfortable at power forward. Kuzma is likely referring to that too by inferring that the franchise already paid AD for the responsibility of being the starting center.
Is Kyle Kuzma Right About The Lakers?
Kuzma’s comment made a broader all-around point about the NBA landscape and how difficult it is to compete for an NBA Championship with two players making huge money. James and Davis deserved their contract, but they monopolized a large percentage of the salary cap.
However, Kuzma is incorrect when looking back at the moves the Lakers made after 2020. One lackluster season due to Davis’ injuries in 2021 led to the franchise taking a massive risk by trading multiple rotation players to land All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook.
Despite coming off the fourth season of his career averaging a triple double for the Washington Wizards, Westbrook struggled to fit into the new lineup and was ultimately the reason this core failed. The Lakers decided to go after another superstar instead of prioritizing role players at their needed positions. Spending limits didn’t truly hit the team until adding Westbrook.
Walker Kessler Inspired This Conversation Topic
The social media post that Kuzma commented on was upset about how long it took General Manager Rob Pelinka to add a reliable center. Various changes throughout the LeBron era saw the Lakers adding short-term fixes at center and often wanting Davis to play the big man position.
Walker Kessler is the big offseason acquisition by the Lakers this summer to ensure that Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves have an elite paint defender to help their defensive flaws. The fan’s post questioned why the Lakers didn’t work this hard to get a center in previous seasons.
Kuzma claimed that he felt LeBron and AD made too much money for the team to add someone of Kessler’s talent level. Davis does not agree with that to create the disconnect we witnessed on social media. Both former Lakers said things that had truth behind them to make it an interesting discussion.
Joey Haverford Joey Haverford is a seasoned sports content writer with over 12 years of experience. He has covered the NBA, WNBA, MLB, NFL, and professional wrestling in the sports industry. More about Joey Haverford
