Kyle Kuzma

Versatile and improving Washington Wizards forward who won an NBA Championship with the Lakers and has carved out a long, productive career.

Kyle Alexander Kuzma was born on 24 July 1995 in Flint, Michigan, to Karri Kuzma, a former high school shot put champion, and met his biological father only once as an infant, instead viewing the father of his younger half-siblings, Andre and Briana, as a father figure. Kuzma has described Flint, a city he has continued to support through charitable initiatives, as "a really violent place" with constant temptations toward crime that basketball helped him avoid. Kuzma attended Bentley High School in Burton, Michigan, before transferring to Rise Academy in Philadelphia, and played three seasons at the University of Utah, earning first-team All-Pac-12 honours as a junior before declaring for the 2017 NBA Draft. The Brooklyn Nets selected Kuzma 27th overall before trading his rights to the Los Angeles Lakers, where he made the NBA All-Rookie First Team and became a fan favourite for his confident scoring and colourful personality, helping the Lakers win the 2020 NBA championship in the pandemic-affected Orlando bubble. Kuzma was traded to the Washington Wizards in 2021 before joining the Milwaukee Bucks in 2025, continuing his career as a versatile scoring forward while remaining deeply connected to his hometown of Flint through ongoing philanthropic work.

Versatile forward with scoring ability and improving defense

Key role player in Lakers 2020 championship run

• NBA Champion 2020