Top 98 Quotes & Sayings by Kyle Kuzma - Page 2

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.

Being from Flint, especially in the basketball community, is a big deal. Basketball in Flint, you're pretty much like a god there if you play college basketball or are lucky enough to make it to the NBA.

It doesn't take much to give back.

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.

I'm talented, but my work ethic has pushed me over the top.

I'm just very confident at all times. I've always been like that, no matter who's guarding me or who I'm on the court with.

Lifestyle-wise, like L.A. in general, Utah is very conservative, very laid back, and L.A. is nothing like that.

Growing up, I was a Detroit Pistons fan, being from Flint. During not the Bad Boys but Chauncey Billups and Ben Wallace era, and growing up, I always wanted to be a Piston.

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.

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.

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.

It's cool to be a Laker: that's basketball royalty, in a sense. The best franchise in basketball, so to be drafted by them is pretty cool, pretty special.

Coming from Flint, I was really immature on the court and off the court.

On draft day, I wasn't really nervous at all. Then you turn on the draft, the first five picks go by, and then you still thinking, 'Oh man, I don't know where I'm going to go.' It's really just, by the time draft hits, that's when you get nervous.

I'm always confident, always expect high expectations for myself.

I put a lot of work into my game every single day.

My favorite commentator, NBA-wise, is probably Doris Burke.

I cherish being on the court, and I really love watching basketball, women's basketball, whatever it is.

My mom did so much for us, working two jobs, driving us where we needed to go and a million other things. She taught me the importance of hard work and sacrifice.

There's not that many tough guys that really talk trash in the NBA.

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.

Every team has problems. Championship teams have problems and whatnot.

People really don't watch TV no more - it's all about social media. I think it's a great platform for showing off your brand, who you are, interacting with fans, interacting with people in general.

Flint is a very tough place to live. The environment is definitely a different type of environment than anywhere else in the country, I feel like.

Everybody wants to be a starter, and I feel like I'm a starter in this league, but I can't necessarily control that.

Growing up, I was always that kid that kinda watched All-Star Weekend on TV, every event.

I'm just comfortable all over the floor.

I was excited about going to the Lakers because they are probably the biggest brand in basketball.

Utah is a very special place for me. It helped me a lot.

I wanted to explore the world and explore life. I wanted to have more to life than Flint.

I just try to be a regular dude.

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.

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.

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.

Really, every time I post something, it goes viral.

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.

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.

I'm very cautious of how I'm presented and my type of reputation.