Los Angeles Lakers: Kyle Kuzma says LeBron James is highly motivated

Kyle Kuzma recently commented about how motivated LeBron James is coming into his second season with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Since coming to the Los Angeles Lakers, it has certainly been a wild ride for LeBron James.

After making the NBA Finals for eight straight years, James missed the playoffs in his first season with the Lakers. While the roster wasn’t quite ready to compete against the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference, many thought that they would certainly get into the playoffs with James.

However, a significant groin injury for James forced him to miss the most time he ever has in his career. With James out, the Lakers were not talented enough to keep up in the West.

Since then, James has certainly taken a lot of heat and criticism. Recently, Kyle Kuzma spoke to Cari Champion of ESPN about James being extremely motivated heading into this season. Here’s what he had to say with text via Christian Rivas of Silver Screen and Roll.

"“That dude is ready. He’s ready. I think this year, this offseason, you’ve seen people slandering his name, saying this, saying that. He’s been super motivated this offseason, working. Between shooting movies, he’s in the gym early, at night, whatever. Just being locked in. That’s the biggest thing he talks about, being ready for it all.”"

While the Lakers might not have had a successful season, James did put up some great stats. In 55 games, James averaged 27.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game. Compared to other seasons, James’ numbers were certainly comparable.

With a lot of chatter questioning his motivation, James will be looking to prove those people wrong. He is still one of the best players in the NBA, and the addition of Anthony Davis should provide a little spark to the veteran.

Hopefully, James will be able to avoid a significant injury like he suffered last season. If not for James getting injured, the Lakers might have been a playoff team. Expectations will once again be high for the Lakers this coming season. As long as James and Davis stay healthy, they should be able to accomplish a lot of the Lakers this season.