Washington Wizards’ forward and former Laker Kyle Kuzma didn’t shy away from trash-talking Cleveland Cavaliers’ fans Wednesday night.
Kuzma told fans who brought signs claiming LA Lakers’ star and Cavs’ legend LeBron James won Kuzma his only NBA championship ring.
Kuzma’s response to the hecklers was pretty straightforward:
“Without ‘Bron, Cleveland wouldn’t be s***.”
Fans brought a sign that read, “LeBron [James] won Kuzma his ring,” according to the Wizards’ forward.
All game long those fans went after Kuzma until he hit a go-ahead three-pointer with seconds left in the game.
“There was some hecklers during the game talking to me, so it was their fault, really,” Kuzma said. “They had a sign up that said LeBron won Kuzma his ring, and I said, ‘Without ‘Bron, Cleveland wouldn’t be s***.’”
The upstart Wizards won the game 97-94, their third win in a row and their seventh win in their last ten games.
Postgame, Kuzma autographed the sign, suggesting the banter wasn’t all mean-spirited.
A first-round draft pick out of Utah in 2017, Kuz spent his first four seasons in Los Angeles.
He was part of the 2019-20 title team that won down in the Orlando bubble.
During a major overhaul this past offseason, the Lakers traded Kuzma as a part of a package to Washington for All-Star Russell Westbrook.
In his first season as a Wizard, Kuzma is averaging 14.8 points and 9.1 rebounds.
Kuz has been a major factor in the Wizards’ hot start to the season, which has them tied with the Chicago Bulls for the best record in the Eastern Conference at 8-3.
It remains to be seen whether or not the Wizards can sustain this success, but with their best start in 16 years, fans in DC are full of optimism for a change.
The Wizards will go for the ninth win against the Magic Saturday at Amway Center in Orlando.
