James Kyle Its That Time of Year Again
PORTLAND, Ore. -- LeBron James says Kyle Kuzma approached him to squash the growing speculation about his and his trainer Clint Parks' social media activity following the Los Angeles Lakers' Christmas Day loss to the Fifty.A. Clippers.
In his posts, Parks had lauded Clippers star Kawhi Leonard at the expense of James, and Kuzma himself later posted an ambiguous bulletin that some took as affirmation of Parks' opinion, a correlation the Lakers power forrard denied Sabbatum.
James said he's used to this sort of thing past now.
"Kuz came to me yesterday at practice and told me what was going on and that was it," James said before shootaround Sat forenoon in accelerate of the Lakers' game against the Trail Blazers. "I really don't treat someone's trainer or whatever the case may exist. Everyone tin have their own opinion.
"And whatever fourth dimension someone wants to get some notoriety they can throw my name in and people are going to selection it up. That's why you're asking me about it, because my name was in information technology. I've never met the guy. I don't know the guy. I could [not] care less well-nigh the guy. Any the case may be. I wish him the best."
Parks, posting to his Instagram story under his handle keolanakealoha, wrote on Thursday, "Watching Kawhi highlights from yesterday. NOBODY wants to speak on how precipitous his skill set is compared to Lebrons. It'south clear who'southward really in the LAB and who isn't. Allow me hear the excuses I'thousand on vacation I got aught but fourth dimension."
Parks likewise posted a photograph of James standing adjacent to Leonard and wrote the caption "Turn the film on somebody was dodging SMOKE yesterday and it wasn't Kawhi." He accompanied the mail service with a shaka hand emoji and a checkered flag emoji, which was likely a reference to the late L.A. hip-hop creative person Nipsey Hussle's song "Victory Lap."
Parks did non immediately render ESPN'southward request for annotate.
Leonard had a game-high 35 points in the Clippers' 111-106 win on Christmas to amend to 2-0 confronting the Lakers this season. He shot 11-for-19 from the field (5-for-seven from 3) with 12 rebounds, v assists and a steal. James scored 23 points on 9-for-24 shooting (two-for-12 from 3) with 10 assists, 9 rebounds, 2 steals and a block.
Kuzma then tweeted early Fri afternoon, "Call a spade a spade" along with a shrug emoji. Many fans online interpreted Kuzma's since-deleted tweet as an affirmation of Parks' position on Leonard vs. James.
Kuzma flatly denied his tweet had anything to do with his trainer's opinion.
"No," Kuzma said Sabbatum, speaking to a small group of reporters in the antechamber of the team hotel after shootaround. "If you follow me, you run into I tweet random things all the time. It had nothing [to do with Parks' posts], no correlation. I didn't even meet what he said at first. Evidently you guys run into, I tweet things all the time. So definitely non about that. Why would I fifty-fifty do that? Makes no sense."
Kuzma said he and James are "more than skilful" in their human relationship as they move forward.
"I just told him that I can't control what another man says," Kuzma said. "Obviously I don't feel that fashion. Everybody knows that me and LeBron have a great relationship, and [we] left information technology at that. Tin't command another man'due south rima oris and what they say, and then we left it at that."
Kuzma said he has non spoken to Parks about the posts. When asked if he would go along to train with Parks, who has as well trained Leonard in the past, Kuzma said: "I mean, I don't know. It's a individual conversation. It's not really a conversation to have with y'all guys."
Kuzma, the alone holdover from the Lakers' immature core that was traded to New Orleans to larn Anthony Davis in the offseason, was the first Lakers role player to reach out to James via FaceTime after the three-time champion announced his determination to join L.A. in the summer of 2018.
He says his relationship with James has only grown since and so.
"I hateful, information technology'due south smashing," Kuzma said. "When yous're around people for multiple years, you lot go to know them."
Kuzma said he wasn't even aware of Parks' posts when he tweeted Fri afternoon shortly before practice. He did not reveal the intended meaning of his tweet.
"Well, I feel certain type of means all the time when I tweet things," Kuzma said. "Go dorsum to all my tweets. I tweet all the fourth dimension most things -- things that happen in my personal life that I shouldn't have to talk nigh with people."
Indeed, since he deleted the spade tweet, Kuzma has quote-tweeted presidential candidate Bernie Sanders to his more than than 890,000 followers and also endorsed another social media platform in a split up tweet, exclaiming, "Tik tok is lit!"
James' social media mores have certainly fatigued attention over the years, from his "FIT-OUT" tweet in reference to Kevin Love, to his unfollowing of the Cavaliers' squad account, to his use of Arthur the aardvark's clenched fist to one time get a point beyond.
Kuzma said that the media is to blame for giving the players' social media whatever attention.
"People, media are trying to make me wait bad or put me out at that place; it doesn't involve me so information technology doesn't affair," he said. "I'm used to information technology. Playing in 50.A., it's going to happen. Everybody wants clickbait, everybody wants stories. But so happens. It's what it is. Like I said, doesn't matter to me. ... I merely control what I can control.
"It'south really just a ridiculous thing nosotros have to bargain with. Nobody actually cares except for the media."
50.A. plays the Blazers with a risk to snap a four-game losing streak Sabbatum. James is officially listed as questionable, however he said his correct groin contusion seemed to be improving earlier he tested information technology at Saturday'due south shootaround. Kuzma is on a 28-infinitesimal restriction because of the back-to-back situation the Lakers face with a abode game confronting the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday.
Source: https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/28383565/lebron-james-kyle-kuzma-shrug-speculation-rift-trainer-comments
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