Heading into the All-Star break, Los Angeles Lakers' forward Kyle Kuzma wasn't taking too kindly to all criticism his team was facing, following a woeful turn of events on the trade market and open court. His response to all the haters: "I want people to talk about me, good or bad," he explained on a segment that aired on the NBA's SiriusXM radio channel. His supernormal performances during last night's Rising Stars challenge only serve to bolster his budding "Mamba Mentality."
Kyle Kuzma's game-high 35 points helped Team USA buck a two-year losing streak at the hands of an almighty Team World who looked the favorite on paper, due to a frontloaded lineup that boasted two of the very best point forwards in the game today: Luka Doncic and Ben Simmons, the latter also picked to represent Team LeBron in Sunday's flagship event.
For those keeping tabs: Team USA bested Team World with a 161-144 scoreline, several shades better than last year's performance, for which Kuzma was also selected in a losing effort.
"I played last year and was lackadaisical, so I didn't want to do that again," explained Kyle Kuzma in a ceremonial speech he made in acceptance of 2019 Rising Stars MVP Honors, a trophy that might seem small in stature to anyone who hasn't won it themselves - 'Nuff respect might be due in the not-so-long run.