Los Angeles, United States—Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James isn’t about to be drawn into a social media spat with teammate Kyle Kuzma over critical comments from Kuzma’s trainer.
James, speaking to reporters on Saturday (Sunday Philippine time) in Portland ahead of the Lakers’ NBA game against the Trail Blazers, said he’d spoken to Kuzma, and wasn’t bothered by the social media remarks of trainer Clint Parks apparently comparing James unfavorably to Kawhi Leonard of the Los Angeles Clippers.
“Kuz came to me yesterday at practice and told me what’s going on, and that was it,” James said.
“I really don’t care for someone’s trainer or whatever the case may be. Everyone can have their own opinion.
“Any time someone wants to get some notoriety, they can throw my name in it and people are going to pick it up. That’s why you asked me about it. My name was in it. I’ve never met the guy. I don’t know the guy. I couldn’t care less about the guy.”
Meanwhile, former NBA All-Star Zach Randolph retired.
Randolph, who starred on the “grit and grind” Memphis Grizzlies teams that made seven straight NBA playoff appearances from 2011-2017 called time on his 17-year career.
The big man nicknamed Z-Bo announced his retirement on Twitter the day after scoring eight points in 15 minutes on the floor for the Sacramento Kings in a loss to the Detroit Pistons.
“I gave this game my all, and it gave everything back and more,” the 38-year-old tweeted.
Randolph selected 19th overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2001 NBA draft, ends his career with 18,578 points and 10,208 rebounds.
He was a two-time All-Star and was named the NBA’s Most Improved Player after the 2003-04 season.
After leaving Portland he played for the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers, Grizzlies and Kings.
His parting statement thanked all of those teams for contributing to his “incredible journey.”
“Special thank you to the Memphis Grizzlies and the entire city which I will forever call my home,” added Randolph, who teamed with Marc Gasol, Mike Conley and Tony Allen on Memphis teams that became known as some of the toughest in the league.
He helped the Grizzlies to their first playoff series win in 2011, when they stunned the San Antonio Spurs. They reached the Western Conference finals in 2013.
The Grizzlies announced in 2017 that they will retire Randolph’s jersey.
Kuzma, who is averaging 11.9 points and 3.5 rebounds per game off the bench for the Lakers this season, confirmed he had addressed the matter with James.
“I just told him I can’t control what another man says,” Kuzma said of his conversation with LeBron.
“Obviously I don’t feel that way. Everybody knows that me and ‘Bron have a great relationship … and I left it at that.”
The drama comes with the Lakers on a four-game losing streak, with James battling a groin contusion suffered in a collision with Patrick Beverley in the team’s Christmas Day loss to the Clippers.
Despite the skid, the Lakers went into Saturday’s game at Portland leading the Western Conference with a 24-7 record that put them ahead of the Denver Nuggets.