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Kyle Kuzma has skilled each extremes of the NBA journey. He was a key piece of the 2020 championship-winning Los Angeles Lakers, enjoying alongside LeBron James on basketball’s grandest stage.
In Washington, he confronted a distinct actuality — one the place his crew failed to interrupt .500. The highs have been exhilarating, and the lows are humbling for the now Milwaukee Buck. But by means of all of it, Kuzma has remained adaptable, studying to navigate each the business of basketball and the enterprise of being Kyle Kuzma.
Lately, Kuzma has expanded his funding portfolio, refined his private model and launched his personal media enterprise — all whereas sustaining a pointy concentrate on his day job. The important thing, he says, is figuring out what’s actual and what’s simply noise.
“You undergo an investor journey the place, at first, all the things sounds thrilling, and also you wish to do all of it,” Kuzma explains. “However as you become older, you understand there’s numerous fluff on the market. Having a robust basis and diversifying is necessary, however it’s simply as essential to concentrate on what you actually know and may construct.”
Very like his recreation on the court docket, Kuzma describes his strategy to entrepreneurship as “plug and play.” In basketball, his taking pictures and measurement enable him to adapt seamlessly to any crew. In enterprise, he focuses on connecting entrepreneurs with the precise folks to convey their concepts to life.
“If I’ve a buddy with a enterprise, I would say, ‘Hey, I do know somebody at Amazon who might assist with that,’ and make the introduction,” he says. “It is all about making the precise connections.”
Regardless of refining his focus over time, Kuzma stays concerned in a variety of industries — from CPG and spirits to automotive washes. He credit his capability to juggle a number of ventures to his ADHD, saying he thrives when engaged on “one million issues directly.”
Past his ADHD, Kuzma credit his mom, Karri, for uplifting lots of his off-court ventures, like his current funding in Main League Volleyball. It was Karri who first launched him to the game, and as we speak, she runs the Kyle Kuzma Household Basis, which helps single moms.
“I come from humble beginnings, so I perceive what it means to be poor,” Kuzma says. “Giving again is at all times necessary—whether or not it is to my hometown or by means of the work we do for single moms and underprivileged children through the holidays. There’s loads I wish to accomplish with my basis, and it will be large. I am lucky to have a fantastic crew that makes all of it occur. My mother runs the inspiration, and he or she does a tremendous job.”
Picture credit score: Kyle Kuzma
That mindset additionally influences his enterprise choices. As a substitute of chasing trends, Kuzma invests in ventures that align along with his values and pursuits, counting on a trusted crew to assist execute his imaginative and prescient.
“I prefer to preserve it easy,” he says. “My job is to determine what’s actual, what’s not, and what has potential. Then, I depend on my crew to assist break it down.”
Kontrolling the narrative — Kyle Kuzma model
Kuzma has confronted his share of criticism. As a younger participant on a LeBron-led contender, he endured scrutiny over his position. Later, he skilled media backlash in Washington because the Wizards tumbled down the standings. Fairly than letting others dictate the story, he created Kuz Kontrol, a direct-to-fan e-newsletter that bypasses conventional media, letting him inform his personal story.
“As athletes, we have to management the narrative round us,” Kuzma says. “We regularly get misconstrued by individuals who solely learn press clippings and do not really know us.”
By Kuz Kontrol, subscribers get an unfiltered take a look at his life — all the things from his ideas on being traded to Milwaukee to behind-the-scenes tales from Michael Rubin’s unique White Get together.
“It is all actual subjects curated by my crew, who works on the e-newsletter,” Kuzma says. “We focus on what’s occurred over the previous two weeks, jot it down, and switch it right into a story.”
The e-newsletter additionally faucets into Kuzma’s distinctive crossover enchantment. Some followers subscribe for his takes on basketball, whereas others are drawn to his tunnel matches and high-fashion sensibilities — or his supermodel fiancée, Winnie Harlow. Kuz Kontrol displays the intersection of sports activities and life-style, an area Kuzma has fastidiously curated through the years, notably by means of his expressive pre-game trend selections.
“I’ve modified how folks strategy the tunnel,” Kuzma says of his game-day outfits. “Guys like Russell Westbrook and Nick Younger began it, however I am carrying precise runway items and gadgets not designed for video games.”
Kuzma’s ardour for trend is real, however he additionally acknowledges its branding energy.
“Style is an area for relevance — not simply in sports activities, however usually,” he says. “It retains you within the dialog. If you happen to’re constructing a model, it is a priceless software as a result of, in a approach, it is free media. Simply placing on the precise garments could make an announcement.”
All through his eight seasons, Kyle Kuzma has been the topic of a lot commentary. Lakers followers as soon as hailed him because the successor to Kobe Bryant, whereas Redditors have criticized him as “horrible.” But one factor stays clear: whether or not he is carrying a Lakers, Wizards or Bucks jersey — or a giant pink sweater — Kuzma will at all times prioritize being true to himself. And to this point, it is labored out fairly nicely for him.
