NBA FINALS: LAKERS VS. HEAT

October 8, 2020

Kyle Kuzma

Los Angeles Lakers

Practice Day

Q. Kyle, you are one win away from the championship, but tomorrow's game how you will approach it?

KYLE KUZMA: The approach, you know, I think the biggest thing is just control what we can control and understanding what Miami Heat is trying to do to be successful on their end, and try to take away what they're trying to do.

So I think that's really just the biggest thing.

Q. What is the biggest motivation to go for the NBA Championship?

KYLE KUZMA: The biggest motivation is it's just something that I've always wanted to accomplish in my basketball career ever since I was a little kid, to win an NBA Championship. So I think that's the biggest motivation. It's something that all of us – if you haven't won a championship, you know, it's everything that we dream of, that’s everything. It's why we play, the reason we play, to win Championships.

Q. Obviously you guys have been taking care of business in the bubble. Is it weird? Lakers fans are everywhere, but how hard is it to be removed from your fan base with what's on the line in the next game?

KYLE KUZMA: I mean, shoot, it's hard to be removed from our families, hard to be removed from society as a whole. You know, obviously I always joke around with my teammates, like I'm not sure how I'm going to be able to act getting out of here. Because it is so combined and so much different than what we're all accustomed to.

Obviously the fan base, we miss the crowds, but we miss just being a part of it, too.

Q. How was this experience in the bubble and what was the biggest lesson for you after all these days?

KYLE KUZMA: The biggest lesson, I don't know. I don't need to spend that much money. I don't know. I think that's the lesson. I haven't really spent that much money here. Saved up a lot of money for after, so, you know, be patient with your money.

Q. On that tip, saving money is a good lesson, but what else have you been proud of about yourself, about your growth within the bubble?

KYLE KUZMA: Just how I've grown as a player and how much I really improved just from an all-around standpoint. I think the biggest thing is everyone labels me as someone that is just a scorer, but I think throughout the playoffs and season games I really developed just about everything; how to play the right way, play championship basketball, you know, understand defense and what I can do on that end of the floor.

You know, just how much energy I can bring every night. Just things I've learned and improved on that help me as a player to grow.