Kyle Kuzma talked about the strength of the Los Angeles Lakers beyond LeBron James following their 121-114 win over the Sacramento Kings.

James' teams had lost 13 straight games when he wasn't in the lineup, dating back to March 16, 2016.

"Just that we can do more as a young core and as a team," Kuzma said when asked what he has learned during this short stretch without James and Rondo. "We are not just one player, we just got to eliminate little mistakes and we could have won all three games [without them]. For us, it is just continue to keep getting better and better and when those guys get back, hit the ground running."

LeBron James believes his performance in upsetting the Golden State Warriors during the 2016 Finals allowed him to think of himself as the best player to ever play the game.

"That one right there made me the greatest player of all time," James said.

The Warriors had won 73 games and had a 3-1 lead against the Cleveland Cavaliers before their comeback.

"That's what I felt," James told friends and business partners Maverick Carter, Randy Mims and Rich Paul. "I was super, super ecstatic to win one for Cleveland because of the 52-year drought. ... The first wave of emotion was when everyone saw me crying, like, that was all for 52 years of everything in sports that's gone on in Cleveland. And then after I stopped, I was like -- that one right there made you the greatest player of all time.

"Everybody was just talking -- how [the Warriors] were the greatest team of all time, like it was the greatest team ever assembled," he said. "And for us to come back, you know, the way we came back in that fashion, I was like, 'You did, you did something special.' That's probably one of the only times in my career I felt like, oh, s---, like you did something special. I haven't had, really had time, to really, like, sit back and think, but that ... that was a moment."

Luke Walton stressed the importance of team camaraderie following the Los Angeles Lakers' 118-107 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.

The loss featured a 22-0 run by the Clippers.

Walton said, "I felt like we kind of started to splinter a little bit while [the 22-0 run] was happening. That can't happen. We can lose games, but we'll lose them together. When we win them, we'll win them together. No matter what's happening on the court, we have to stay together and keep working and figure it out."

Kyle Kuzma added that "we can't be a front-running team. When things are up, we can't just all be happy, and then when things are down, we're just separate from each other. So the biggest thing for us is just to always be together. Every team has rough patches in a season...it's all about us sticking together and just keeping it like a fist".

The Lakers have lost two games in a row, both played without LeBron James, Rajon Rondo, and Javale McGee.

Rajon Rondo is expected to undergo surgery on his injured right hand.

Rondo will likely be out approximately four weeks.

LeBron James was awarded the The Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year for 2018 for his contributions on and off the court. It was third time he's won the award.

Including averaging 28.7 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 8.4 assists over the past year, James also opened his "I Promise" school for at-risk students in Akron, Ohio.

"In addition to being on everyone's short list as one of the league's all-time greatest players, LeBron is among the hardest working players and is a thoughtful and impactful leader. He serves on the executive committee of the Players Association even as he builds an impressive media company of his own. And what's most inspiring, and no surprise given his talent and focus, is how he's done all of this while embracing his unique opportunity to positively impact communities in need," said Adam Silver.

James beat out Mookie Betts, Alex Ovechkin, and Patrick Mahomes for the award. 

The Los Angeles Lakers are planning on not having LeBron James for several games due to a groin injury.

James does not have a serious groin injury, but there is a healing process for him to navigate.

James has never had this severe of a groin injury in the past.

The Lakers are 20-14 and holding on to fourth place in the Western Conference. Their next four games -- versus Sacramento twice, the Clippers and Oklahoma City -- are against teams also in the conference playoff picture.

Anthony Davis has yet to tell those close to him he is "dead set" on joining the Los Angeles Lakers or any other specific team.

Davis also does not appear ready to demand a trade from the New Orleans Pelicans.

Davis has been consistent with his public comments about wanting to win with the Pelicans.

The Boston Celtics have long been interested in Davis and presumably could offer the Pelicans the best package, while the Lakers could also put together a potential trade for Davis.

Teams interested in trading for Anthony Davis expect him to cycle through a series of short-term contracts until he can sign a long-term deal at 35 percent of the cap.

Davis could sign a supermax extension with the New Orleans Pelicans at 35 percent of the cap this offseason.

Rich Paul, who represents Davis, has worked with LeBron James on a number of short-term contracts during his second tenure with the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

LeBron James will miss tonight's game against the Sacramento Kings with a groin injury. He will not travel with the team.

An MRI on his injured groin came back clean. He is listed as day-to-day.

Rajon Rondo will also not travel to Sacramento due to a grade 3 sprain on his ring finger. 

LeBron James underwent an MRI on Wednesday, which confirmed a strained left groin.

James will be listed as day-to-day.

James suffered the injury in the third quarter of the Lakers' win at the Warriors.