SAN FRANCISCO – Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma averages 4.4 assists per game. But the assists he is giving to incarcerated women back in his hometown of Flint, Michigan, was recognized by the NBA on Friday.
Each month, the NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award recognizes a player monthly for their outstanding work in the community. Kuzma was named the NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award winner for November. The NBA champion hosted an event on Nov. 26 through his Kyle Kuzma Family Foundation in which it announced it is aiding incarcerated mothers in the Genesee County (Mich.) Jail who are beginning the process of re-entering society. The foundation is donating gifts and clothing to the mothers and their children.
Kuzma and his mother, Karri, also unveiled “Kuz’s Corner,” two newly renovated jail cells where incarcerated women visit their children, and the Kyle Kuzma Family Foundation is partnering with I.G.N.I.T.E and R.I.S.E., both jail reform organizations, to help incarcerated mothers. With R.I.S.E, the foundation is also working is creating a program sponsoring moms in their first six months of release from Genesee County Jail.
“We look forward to helping inspire women that are incarcerated to learn as much as they can within their stay in jail, [and to] get their certificates with I.G.N.I.T.E. to gain skills they can utilize when they get out,” Karri Kuzma told Andscape. “By renovating the two cells, we hope that will also inspire women to become mentors to others both inside and outside of jail and to help them be the best version of themselves.”
Kuzma is averaging team-high 22.5 points per game as well as 6.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists for the struggling Wizards (5-25). The sixth-year NBA veteran signed a four-year, $102 million contract with Washington last offseason that allowed him to give his mother an early retirement. With the departure of Wizards great Bradley Beal to the Phoenix Suns, Kuzma told Andscape in July that as the new face of the Wizards he wanted to not only be a great player, but an important leader who is willing to sacrifice.
Kuzma has often shown he is passionate about giving back to the less fortunate. In November, the former University of Utah star distributed over 1,500 hot meals from Black-owned restaurant Henry’s Soul Café and a GIANT food store gift card. Kuzma has also previously donated to help cure the ongoing fight for clean water in Flint. On Nov. 26, he delivered a commencement speech at Genesee County Jail and invited graduates to a post-event holiday party where they received $60,000 worth of clothes with hope to inspire confidence and help them with self-care upon re-entry into society.
“Kyle’s commitment to the organization and the city [Flint] is an allegiance that is really impressive,” new Wizards general manager Will Dawkins told Andscape. “When [new Wizards president Michael Winger] and I first sat down with him, he talked about what he wanted to do with his career. And that really meshed with what we were looking for. We challenged him to make progress as a leader in the community and on the court.
“There are things that he is doing with his foundation with his mom that are really impressive. They’ve been giving back to prison systems, local communities, food shelters and schools. They’ve impacted a lot.”
Kyle Kuzma, 28, talked to Andscape following the Wizards’ 129-118 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Nov. 22 about why he wanted to help incarcerated women, the platform he has as an NBA star, how he is coping with the Wizards’ struggles, the imprint he is having in helping Flint, why he re-signed with the Wizards as a free agent, the responsibility that comes with being the face of the franchise and more in the following Q&A.
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What does winning the Community Assist Award mean to you?
It means a lot more to my mom for sure. It means a lot to me, but especially with just the work that we do and I do with my foundation, my mom is extremely valuable to that. And obviously I got the award, but just the work she does — the work she’s put together — is extremely valuable. And I just have a great team around me that helps me orchestrate all these things. She is the president of my foundation, so she does everything.
How did you come up with the idea of helping incarcerated women in your hometown of Flint?
I’m just really thinking outside the box. I have a relationship with our sheriff and just the city of Flint. And through conversations about just different walks of life, just understanding prison systems and jail systems and obviously that ties in with women. My foundation tries to focus on single mothers and underprivileged kids. So, naturally going into jails made sense within that partnership…
Jail wasn’t a place made for women. And it is tough for women when they get out of jail and re-enter society. The man comes back to society from prison, it’s like, ‘OK, second chance.’ But for a woman, it’s like, ‘You’re a woman. Why are you in jail? Why are you in prison?’ And then you hear these stories and especially with jail, a lot of mild to moderate type of cases and charges that put people in. And it just worked out for us.
Was there anything that sparked your interest in helping incarcerated women in Michigan?
It was sad. This one woman, she was in jail, pretty much a kid, and she was pregnant in jail, had her kid, had to give the kid to a family member, and as soon as it came out had to go back to jail. And one, it was cool to be there. We reunited them together, being able to see that, but just to hear that — especially for what she was in for — it’s ridiculous. So that just made me realize this is a field of people that could use some help.
How are you dealing with losing?
I can develop every day. That’s what I focus on. Can’t focus on the wins and losses. Especially for us, this is a rebuild. You understand what you’re signed up for. But I just kind of get excited every day to try to get better because I have [gotten better] every year. I don’t see that stopping.
Obviously, along with the money offered, what made you decide to re-sign with the Wizards?
Just to develop. I felt like this was the place where I could develop. And seeing the plan that Winger and Dawkins have and having those conversations, I thought it was perfect for that type of situation.
How do you carry the weight of carrying the franchise? How do you make it better?
You got to be patient. Patience is the No. 1 thing. Just understanding where we are and just the dynamic of being a rebuilding year, winning the rebuild. A lot of time rebuilds look ugly. It’s not going to be worse than this … so just understanding that and understanding [to] keep focused on the good habits — not only for me developing, but trying to help other people develop. Whether it’s the Bilal’s [rookie guard Bilal Coulibaly] or the Jordans [guard Jordan Poole], sticking with those guys and just being a leader and growing into a leader, too. It’s a bunch of those things, but it’s good though.
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I know it’s your hometown, but talk about the impact you’re making in Flint and why it so important for you?
It’s my hometown where a lot of people are forgotten. People don’t think about it too often. Very impoverished place. Being somebody that people know from there, I just want to give them hope and never forget where I come from.
When did you realize you can make change with your platform?
I feel like even in college I could make a difference. We used to do a lot of charitable things in college. When people meet you and a smile comes on their face from just meeting you, that just sparked something in me. Understanding that I could be somebody to help because of that, that’s really powerful. You can make somebody’s day when they can look at you, and it’s pretty crazy.
Is the water issue improving in Flint?
Same old, same boat. They got to rip out every pipe in the city. So, it’s not changing.
Anything more you could do there?
No. Not really. It’s a government situation. It’s way over everybody’s head. It’s going on 10 years.
In terms of helping women in prison or the water crisis in Flint, are there any politicians that you are meeting in the nation’s capital that can help?
Yeah, for sure. That’s also a great thing about D.C. is just the lobbyist of politicians, the people you can meet there to spur change is very cool because D.C. is probably the most powerful city, not only in the country but probably the world. So being there has really allowed me just to rub elbows with a bunch of different people from a bunch of different industries. It’s all about meeting the right people.
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