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Exclusive – Kyle Kuzma Received Career Advice From Carmelo Anthony Before Team USA

In one of the most anticipated upcoming NBA seasons in recent memory, one of the NBA’s biggest and storied franchises are back in title contention, as the Los Angeles Lakers gear up to embark on a title assault in two months time.

The Lakers had an eventful off season to say the least, with the front office electing to ship of most of their young core in order to bring in gifted big man Anthony Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans. With the acquisition of Davis, the Lakers now have a proven star to pair with legendary small forward LeBron James, and with that the Lakers have emerged as one of the favourites to be hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy come next June.

Davis didn’t come cheap, as the acquisition of Duke product demanded a host of young players and draft picks. Most of the Lakers’ young core was packaged in the deal, however, the front office was unwilling to say goodbye to promising forward Kyle Kuzma, who remained in a purple and gold uniform. This left many Lakers fans overjoyed, as Kuzma shone the brightest alongside James last season posting averages of 18.7 points per game in 33 minutes.

Now, with the dynamic pairing of James and Davis, many believe Kuzma is primed to step into that third scoring option role, and elevate his game in order to create a true big three in Los Angeles.

Kuzma is currently undergoing preparation for the FIBA World Cup with Team USA in Melbourne, Australia ahead of two exhibition games against the Australian National Team.

The first day saw Kuzma work on his three-point shooting after practice had finished, and day two saw the young gun win a three-point shooting contest between himself, Sacramento Kings’ Harrison Barnes and Boston Celtics’ Marcus Smart.

Sitting down with Open Court, Kuzma expressed his focus to improve from behind the arc.

“Yes it’s a big area, something I kind of lacked last year, so i’m trying to tighten it up.”

The 24 year old then revealed to us how veteran Carmelo Anthony has helped his Team USA experience and career in general with his advice before he came into camp

“Melo has when I worked out with him, given me basic things that he found that made him successful in Team USA, and you know not just this journey but just my journey as a basketball player and my career in the NBA.”

By watching Kuzma’s approach with Team USA, it’s evident he’s locked in on improving his game for this upcoming season. With his tireless dedication and desire to improve from beyond the arc, the fruits of his labor seem to be showing.

Kuzma is hungry, focused and ready to be the third star for the Lakers, and the rest of the league could be put on notice sooner rather than later.