Kuzma defends Walton: 'I love playing for him'

When Lonzo Ball was asked to either confirm or deny his father's claim that the Los Angeles Lakers don't want to play for head coach Luke Walton, the rookie point guard did neither.

"I'll play for anybody," Ball said. "My job is to play basketball. I don't decide who the coach is."

Ball's teammate Kyle Kuzma, who is in a decidedly less awkward position than his fellow rookie, did not prevaricate when given the opportunity to weigh in.

"Luke is my guy," Kuzma told reporters Monday, according to Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times. "I love playing for him."

Kuzma then suggested that what LaVar says doesn't matter, and the scuffling Lakers - who'd lost nine straight games before beating the Atlanta Hawks in a battle of the league's two worst teams Friday night - need to focus on the things that do.

"We just gotta stay locked in as a family and listen to the people that matter in our basketball lives," Kuzma said. "We stand by Luke. I know the front office does."