Luke Kennard spoke on Apr. 12 about his new role with the Los Angeles Lakers, describing it as a “full-circle moment” after recent injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves shifted him into a primary ball-handling position next to LeBron James.
Kennard, who was previously known for his shooting ability, has adapted to being an initiator on the court. He said the experience of sharing playmaking duties with James is special, reflecting on their shared history from high school basketball. “It’s definitely a full-circle moment for sure,” Kennard said following Friday’s blowout win. “I mean, from high school, playing on his AAU team, and now sitting next to him in the locker room. We’re running a lot of two-man action in a game together. So yeah, it’s definitely something I don’t take for granted. We’re finding something that’s been working for us and it’s exciting to do. Obviously it’s a special opportunity for me and something that I’ve been grateful for since being here and I’m gonna continue to grow out there and try to find things that work for both of us. It’s been a lot of fun.”
Kennard grew up in Ohio where he broke several of James’ high school records before eventually joining James’ AAU team as a teenager. Now teammates with one of his childhood idols, Kennard is taking advantage of the opportunity despite having little notice before stepping into this expanded role.
During his eight-year NBA career, Kennard has mostly contributed as an outside shooter but is now embracing more responsibilities due to injuries within the Lakers roster. The team faces uncertainty regarding Doncic and Reaves’ availability ahead of the playoffs.
Looking ahead, if Kennard remains with the Lakers next season under head coach JJ Redick, there may be opportunities for him to continue developing as an orchestrator on offense while still providing value as a shooter when needed.