Kyle Alexander Kuzma is the full name of an American professional basketball player who played for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association. He was a member of the Utah Utes in college and was selected by the Brooklyn Nets with the 27th overall pick.

He was also named to the All-Rookie First Team of the NBA. Now, take a look at the top 99 quotes from this basketball legend that will inspire you to be more positive.

Here are some of his inspiring quotes.

“Sure, there’s a lot of negativity, but basketball is such a huge thing in my community. Flint has a wealthy tradition in basketball.”― Kyle Kuzma

“It’s tough to win on the road, you know… at the end of the day, it’s just tough to win on the road.”― Kyle Kuzma

“Now that the NBA has removed restrictions on the color ways we can wear on court, I can be as expressive as I want.”― Kyle Kuzma

“You know how you’re in elementary school and the teacher goes around the room and, like, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ I said, ‘NBA player.’ And she’s like, ‘Well, OK. Maybe pick a real job.’ But I really believed it. I felt like I was meant to be here.”― Kyle Kuzma

“A lot of rookies don’t come into the league and have that type of leeway that Coach Walton and his staff really gave me.”― Kyle Kuzma

“Every team has problems. Championship teams have problems and whatnot.”― Kyle Kuzma

“I’m the 27th pick – not too many people thought I was gonna play the way I am. It’s just a testament to having confidence and work ethic and believing in yourself and keeping the marathon going.”― Kyle Kuzma

“Growing up, I was always that kid that kinda watched All-Star Weekend on TV, every event.”― Kyle Kuzma

“Every single year, there’s gonna be something else that people say I can’t do or that you can’t do in general. And it’s your job to prove them wrong.”― Kyle Kuzma

“I put a lot of work into my game every single day.”― Kyle Kuzma

“I don’t want to be one of those guys who makes it somewhere and forgets where they come from. Flint is very important to me.”― Kyle Kuzma

“My favorite commentator, NBA-wise, is probably Doris Burke.”― Kyle Kuzma

“I just try to be a regular dude.”― Kyle Kuzma

“I went to school at the University of Utah, and they had outstanding facilities and coaches that helped me grow and mature as a person.”― Kyle Kuzma

“I always tried to be an all-around player. In college, I felt like I needed to add to my game to get to another level, to get to the NBA. The NBA has really turned to positionless basketball, so it was very important to me to have an all-around game so I could stand out in front of other guys.”― Kyle Kuzma

“People assume that, as an NBA athlete, you can get access to any kind of sneaker you want, when in reality, it’s hard to get the exclusive releases or shoes from the past and feel confident they’re authentic.”― Kyle Kuzma

“It doesn’t take much to give back.”― Kyle Kuzma

“Utah is a very special place for me. It helped me a lot.”― Kyle Kuzma

“Coming from Flint, I was really immature on the court and off the court.”― Kyle Kuzma

“I’m just comfortable all over the floor.”― Kyle Kuzma

“I was a young kid, and the YMCA was my second home, where my mom was dropping me off for seven, eight hours. I’d spend the day doing what I love: hoop.”― Kyle Kuzma

“I cherish being on the court, and I really love watching basketball, women’s basketball, whatever it is.”― Kyle Kuzma

“Everyone said I would be a second-round pick or undrafted guy – that’s all I heard coming to the draft – but I had a higher faith. I knew I was way better than that, better than how people pegged me.”― Kyle Kuzma

“I’ve never really been a numbers guy… I like to score, for sure… but my main thing is I want to win.”― Kyle Kuzma

“All the top guys are complete players, and if I’m not, I won’t be there.”― Kyle Kuzma

“You’re going to have people that are high on you one day and low on you the next. For me, it’s just to stay levelheaded and stay working.”― Kyle Kuzma

“When I’m locked in and focused, I can do pretty much anything I want.”― Kyle Kuzma

“I think I can bring to the NBA versatility. I feel like the league is going toward four men that can pass, dribble, shoot, rebound, defend. I think I can do all that and bring that to the table at the highest level.”― Kyle Kuzma

“It’s one thing to talk to a vet about something, but when you’re talking to a fellow rookie going through the same struggles you are, you kind of understand it – and you grow together like that.”― Kyle Kuzma

“Flint is a big, industrial city. But when I was growing up, they had the recession, lead in the water, and all this other stuff. The city was really depleted.”― Kyle Kuzma

“I want to clean up my handle. Get stronger. Those are the things that will help me out in the long run.”― Kyle Kuzma

“You’ve got to be the anchor of the defense at that five position. Call out pick-and-rolls, screens. The five is usually around the rim, so you see everything.”― Kyle Kuzma

“You can have a strong work ethic. Yes, that’s going to take you far. But I think if you have a solid work ethic and a passion, that’s different.”― Kyle Kuzma

“My friends, they all say that I’m turning Hollywood. Big-time. And I want to be that. I want to be a guy who’s bigger than what they say. You look at Kobe. Michael Jordan. Somebody like Michael Jackson. Those guys are bigger than life. I strive to be that.”― Kyle Kuzma

“Going into a new school, you don’t want to be the new kid and be quiet and shy. You want to stand out. You want people to know who you are in that school. I think that also helped me growing up. I always wanted people to know me throughout the school.”― Kyle Kuzma

“I’ve got the same mentality every time I step on the floor – play my hardest and just be locked in.”― Kyle Kuzma

“I have a very high love for the game. My mom would always drop me off at the YMCA downtown in Flint, and I’d stay there all day. If she couldn’t take me, I’d take the bus there and be there until she’d pick me up when she got off work. I’ve always had the love for basketball.”― Kyle Kuzma

“I’ve always been a self-motivated guy for basketball.”― Kyle Kuzma

“Until you’re a rookie, you don’t know what NBA game shape is.”― Kyle Kuzma

“Being in the weight room has helped me. Defensively, it helps because I’m not getting backed down easily. My legs are stronger, so I can move my feet better.”― Kyle Kuzma

“I never really had role models or guys in the NBA to show me the ropes or be a friend, mentor to me like that.”― Kyle Kuzma

“I’ve got a chance to be really special.”― Kyle Kuzma

“I was always thankful for the YMCA. Of course, growing up, you don’t really think about it, because when you’re a kid, you’re in your own world. But back then, it was just so much. I’m going to go the Y, hanging out, playing games all day, playing basketball.”― Kyle Kuzma

“It’s a great feeling when people recognize you, but at the same time, you gotta take it with a grain of salt, continue to work so you get better, because people can change on you; thoughts can change.”― Kyle Kuzma

“I just want to be a complete player.”― Kyle Kuzma

“I’ve always kinda guarded perimeter guys. I’m a little bit more comfortable guarding guys off screens. It kinda keeps me engaged in the game, locked in.”― Kyle Kuzma

“I don’t go to malls. I’ve just always been a simple person. I hang out, work out. That’s what I think is fun.”― Kyle Kuzma

“That’s one thing I try to take pride in: not changing up. Just being who I am, and having people love me or hate me for who I am.”― Kyle Kuzma

“There’s always going to be obstacles and people that doubt you. So it’s about proving people wrong and bettering yourself and trying to be the best you.”―, Kyle Kuzma

“People don’t really understand how important our voices are. I think there’s a lot of athletes that don’t use their power that really should.”― Kyle Kuzma

“I’m really looking to facilitate, find my teammates.”― Kyle Kuzma

“Can’t blame the coaching staff for everything. It’s mutual, of course. Players mess up, coaches mess up.”― Kyle Kuzma

“NBA’s spacing’s really helped. Teams gotta really respect my jumper.”― Kyle Kuzma

“I’m a mismatch at the four, so a lot of times, I have slower guys on me, and I can exploit that.”― Kyle Kuzma

“Every time I’m on the court, I think I’m the best player. That’s the mind-set a lot of players should have.”― Kyle Kuzma

“I got a lot of confidence in myself.”― Kyle Kuzma

“I always said if I had a platform to speak, I am going to speak. I feel it is just important, not only for African American-related things but world things in general.”― Kyle Kuzma

“I am always a woke person, know about things, always feel a certain type of way.”― Kyle Kuzma

“I can be pretty much anything I want.”― Kyle Kuzma

“I’ve just always played with a big chip on my shoulder, and that keeps fueling me.”― Kyle Kuzma

“It was great to be in the gym with Kobe. He’s so particular about the game and… why and how things work. That’s one thing I kind of love about him. If you ask him something, he’s going to tell you A, B, C, and D, and how that affects each play.”― Kyle Kuzma

“Everybody is going to have tough shooting nights. It’s natural.”― Kyle Kuzma

“As a kid, I always loved sneakers and style.”― Kyle Kuzma

“When I joined the Lakers and moved to L.A., I started getting more serious about collecting sneakers and dressing from the feet up.”― Kyle Kuzma

“There are endless possibilities for what I can wear on and off the court.”― Kyle Kuzma

“LeBron is a role model in that sense. Because for him to be as good as he is and how high up he is on the totem pole, to still care about Akron, Ohio, that is tremendous and speaks volumes.”― Kyle Kuzma

“In high school, AAU, even prep school, I didn’t really know how to play basketball. It was kind of like, ‘Let’s throw the balls out, go get buckets, just score, and go play.’”― Kyle Kuzma

“I just try to play the right way.”― Kyle Kuzma

“In our society, social media’s so big in our lives. It’s all over the place.”― Kyle Kuzma

“ESPN puts out anything for clicks now, it kind of seems like.”― Kyle Kuzma

“I’m more off ball, catch and go, spot-ups, cutting.”― Kyle Kuzma

“I’m a competitive person.”― Kyle Kuzma

“Mom was always worrying about the rent.”― Kyle Kuzma

“Any time you have any type of record in any record book, especially with the Lakers, it is pretty special.”― Kyle Kuzma

“Every day’s a challenge. You learn every single day.”― Kyle Kuzma

“After college, I really looked at every single shot that I shot. Pretty much every shot in my sophomore year and my junior year and just watched my form. I watched how I shot it from 3, and I just noticed I was a very undisciplined shooter.”― Kyle Kuzma

“I have that blue-collar mentality. I’ve always played with a chip on my shoulder, and I’ve always been hungry to learn.”― Kyle Kuzma

“A lot of people think it takes millions of dollars to give back or inspire, but just you showing up means a lot.”― Kyle Kuzma

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