Lakers Legend Tells Kyle Kuzma To Know His Role: 'You're Not The Guy'

KEY POINTS

James Worthy says Kyle Kuzma has to know his role in the Lakers
Worthy was part of the Showtime dynasty on the '80s
The Lakers are right on pace to make another title run

NBA legend James Worthy has a piece of advice for Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma. An ex-Laker himself, Worthy tells the third-year man to understand his position in the team, which is right on pace for another title run.

Worthy spoke to Danny Green and Harrison Sanford on ‘Inside The Green Room’ podcast and weighed in on Kuzma's stature in the purple and gold.

"When he came here, (Kyle Kuzma) had a great Summer League, but he was playing with a bunch of young players, so it was easy to blossom in that young generation movement. He had a volume of shots. Nobody was saying anything about him taking 20 shots,” he said.

Kuzma, 24, hit the rocky road of consistency as he entered the 2020 season after nursing an injury. From an individual game standpoint, his numbers, as expected, took a significant hit with the addition of Anthony Davis, which is something Worthy also pointed out.

“Finally, you put him on a real team with veterans. He had to really learn how to play with veterans and it was a struggle. Now he came close to being more efficient, a little more consistent. It’s LeBron and A.D., know your role and play your role,” Worthy continued.

“Understand it, that you’re not the guy. Yes, you’re a great scorer. Fit in the team and everything else will take care of itself. And sincerely I think Kuz is getting there,” he added.

In 54 games this year, Kuzma averaged 12.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists while playing close to 25 minutes per game, which is way below his playing time last year where he was fielded in for 33 minutes per outing.

Having been part of the Showtime squad in the 1980s, it goes without saying that Worthy has all the right to discuss how to win while wearing a Laker uniform. The 59-year-old forward out of North Carolina was drafted first overall in the 1982 NBA Draft. Immediately adapting to the winning culture in L.A., Worthy has seized three titles in his first six seasons in the NBA, including the 1988 championship where he was named the Finals MVP.