“I Don’t Have Any More Tears Left”: Kyle Kuzma Gets Emotional Over Kobe Bryant’s Death

The Los Angeles Lakers played their first game after the sudden demise of NBA legend Kobe Bryant. The suffered a 119-127 loss against the Portland Trail Blazers. Kyle Kuzma, currently playing as a small forward for the Los Angeles Lakers, looked up to Bryant. An emotional Kuzma talked about how he played for Bryant and all things he stood for.

How Kyle Kuzma Dealt with his Mentor’s Death

Kuzma never played a single minute alongside Kobe Bryant on the Los Angeles Lakers. Kuzma never played against Bryant in the NBA. However, he had a close relationship with the future Hall of Famer as a pupil. His passing took its toll on the 24-year-old forward.

Despite dealing with the death of his mentor, Kuzma was able to have a solid effort against the visiting Portland Trail Blazers. The former first-round pick finished with a career-high 15 rebounds to go along with 17 points.

Kuzma performed well, even with all the emotional weight that every Lakers player obviously is still carrying. He is one of few players around the NBA that reached out to Kobe seeking improvement. The Detroit native picked up everything he could from Bryant’s expertise. Even with the tough week he was having, Kyle used everything that Bryant taught him and spilt it out on the court.

“I was just thinking about what he stood for and what he meant to the game,” Kuzma said, “and tonight, I just tried to be fearless. Plain and simple. I just tried to play my heart out. That’s what he did every night and what he would have wanted all of us to do tonight.”

On Kobe Bryant and The Impact He Had

Postgame, Kuzma opened up about Kobe’s untimely death and how it affected people all around.

“There were a lot of emotions out there tonight from everyone,” Kuzma said. “Obviously, the Laker fan base, Laker desk, there were a lot of front office desk members that have been here for all of his 20 years as a Laker. Some of the players have known him, played with him, played against him, some of the coaches have coached against him, so you know, there were a lot of emotions out there tonight.”

“This week, I cried a lot, laughed a lot; I probably cried so much that I don’t have any more tears left in me,” Kuzma said of his Kobe’s passing.