"Gonna clothesline my light skin a*s" - Kyle Kuzma recalls his scary 'Welcome to NBA' moment from 2017

Every player has had his "Welcome to the NBA" moment and Kyle Kuzma is no exception. A fan asked Kuzma about this specific moment on X (formerly Twitter). The Washington Wizards forward recently recalled a particular event during his rookie season, back when he was still paying for the LA Lakers.

Kuzma was considered a steal in the 2017 NBA Draft class after he was picked 27th overall by the Lakers. He spent three seasons in college, which is why his game was polished and he quickly became a contributor at the professional level.

Despite all that, he still had to learn a few kinks in the league as a rookie. According to the 6-foot-9 forward, his "Welcome to the NBA" moment happened against DeMarcus Cousins, who was playing his first and only full season with the New Orleans Pelicans.

​

​

​

"I hit boogie with a nice up and under then bro said he was gonna clothesline my light skin ass if I did it again," Kuz shared on X.

Compared to other stars' welcome moments, Kuzma wasn't embarrassed by a veteran with a move or schooled the entire game. It's a hilarious story that perfectly shows the kind of player both Kuz and Cousins are.

Kuz ended his rookie season on a high note. He averaged 16.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists for the Lakers. He was also named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team after his stellar performance. The rookie performance was done by the Utah alum in spectacular fashion.

You might also be interested in reading this: “More like a 3-4 punch”: Kyle Kuzma and Jordan Poole mocked by fans for being worst NBA duo

---

Kyle Kuzma believes the Dallas Mavericks are one player away from being a legit threat

In a recent Q&A session with Kyle Kuzma, he entertained all sorts of questions addressed to him. One of the questions the Wizards forward was asked was about his thoughts on the Dallas Mavericks, a team that has performed well this season.

According to Kuz, the Mavs are one player away from being contenders for the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

​

​

​

"[One] player away. Lively will be good too," Kuz replied on X.

He didn't specifically say which player Dallas could pursue, but he could be hinting at the possibility of him playing alongside Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic. Over the summer, the Mavs were reportedly interested in signing the forward. That didn't push through, as he signed a four-year, $102 million deal to stay in Washington.

This season, he's tried his best to lead the Wizards to significant wins. Kuzma has averaged 23.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 4.6 assists, but the team only has three wins so far.

​