Kyle Kuzma offers strong defense of Luke Walton
Los Angeles Lakers rookie forward Kyle Kuzma is standing up for his head coach in a big way amidst the team’s recent turmoil.
Speaking on Monday, Kuzma gave a strong defense of Lakers coach Luke Walton. Here is what he had to say, per Lakers Nation’s Matthew Moreno:
Kyle Kuzma gave Luke Walton a ringing endorsement. "Luke is my guy, I love playing for him. … We stand by Luke. I know the front office does.
"At the end of the day, Luke isn't the one going out, shooting 2-for-15, turning the ball over or missing free throws. That's us."
— Matthew Moreno (@MMoreno1015) January 8, 2018
Kuzma’s comments come just one day after LaVar Ball, the father of fellow Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball, caused major controversy by blasting Walton and saying he had lost control of the team (full remarks here). The Lakers have also lost 11 of their last 13 games and are a Western Conference-worst 12-27.
Nevertheless, Kuzma’s ardent support for Walton is a sign the Lakers players are still all-in on their coach, and management appears to feel the same way.
