Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma took home the first Player Hater of the Year award from Bleacher Report’s Sauce Awards.
Los Angeles Lakers rookie forward Kyle Kuzma has become quite the recognizable player. After being the No. 27 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, Kuzma wasted no time putting his name on the map.
Kuzma first raised eyebrows in the Las Vegas Summer League, where he showed off his extensive offensive game. People doubted him, saying it was only the summer league. Doubters still remained throughout the preseason, saying those games didn’t count. Well, once the games counted, Kuzma continued filling up the basket.
Kuzma averaged 16.1 points per game, which was tied for the team lead with Brandon Ingram and Julius Randle. He made 45 percent of his shots and 36.6 percent from the 3-point line. Kuzma also added 6.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.
Those stats were good enough for Kuzma to land on the All-Rookie First Team. He was joined by Ben Simmons of the Philadelphia 76ers, Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz, Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics and Lauri Markkanen of the Chicago Bulls.
Kuzma has discussed how the rookies in the postseason are motivating him this offseason. Kuzma has already been hard at work looking to improve his game. Despite the great rookie season, Kuzma is hungry to continue getting better and help get his team into the playoffs.
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While Kuzma has drawn rave reviews off the court, he has also made quite a name for himself off the court as well.
His fashion has drawn attention and he has also made multiple appearances on TNT. Kuzma appeared on Kevin Garnett‘s Area 21 show and was also featured on MTN Dew Kickstart Rising Stars series.
However, what Kuzma may be known best for are the jokes he makes on social media. Kuzma, along with fellow rookies Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart, go back and forth on social media cracking jokes at each other’s expense.
Kuzma trolled Ball about his hip-hop and rap opinions earlier this offseason. Recently, he took his hating at Ball’s expense to a whole different level.
Bleacher Report recently tweeted out their Sauce Awards. To the surprise of no one, Kuzma was named Player Hater of the Year. Less shocking, all of his hating was directed at Ball, who has become his main target.
*Viewer discretion advised, NSFW language*
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Kuzma did not hold back as all of his jokes were aimed at Ball. Will we see Ball respond to Kuzma? We will have to wait and see. If their social media interactions are any indication, you can expect something from Ball sooner than later.