Kyle Kuzma facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Kyle Kuzma

Kuzma with the Washington Wizards in 2022
No. 33 – Washington Wizards
Power forward / small forward
Personal information
Born	(1995-07-24) July 24, 1995 (age 29) Flint, Michigan, U.S.
High school	Bentley (Burton, Michigan) Rise Academy (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Listed height	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight	221 lb (100 kg)
Career information
College	Utah (2014–2017)
NBA Draft	2017 / Round: 1 / Pick: 27th overall
Selected by the Brooklyn Nets
Pro career	2017–present
League	NBA
Career history
2017–2021	Los Angeles Lakers
2021–present	Washington Wizards
Career highlights and awards
NBA champion (2020) NBA All-Rookie First Team (2018) First-team All-Pac-12 (2017)

Kyle Alexander Kuzma (born July 24, 1995) is an American professional basketball player. He plays for the Washington Wizards in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Before joining the NBA, he played college basketball for the Utah Utes.

Kuzma was picked in the first round of the 2017 NBA draft. He was the 27th player chosen overall. He started his NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers. In 2018, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. He also won an NBA championship with the Lakers in 2020. Later, in 2021, he was traded to the Washington Wizards.

Kyle Kuzma's Early Life

Kyle Kuzma grew up in Flint, Michigan. His mother, Karri Kuzma, was a high school champion in shot put. She even went to college on a track scholarship. Kyle has a younger half-brother, Andre, and a younger half-sister, Briana.

Kyle's mom and his half-siblings' father, Larry Smith, put a toy basketball hoop in their living room when Kyle was just two years old. This is how his love for basketball began. Kyle saw Larry Smith as a father figure.

Kyle went to Bentley High School in Michigan. As a junior, he scored about 18 points and grabbed 14 rebounds per game. He also had many assists and blocks. Later, he moved to Rise Academy in Philadelphia for his senior year. There, he averaged 22 points and seven rebounds per game. Kyle received offers from many top colleges before choosing the University of Utah.

College Basketball Career

Kyle Kuzma started at the University of Utah in 2013. He took a "redshirt" year first. This meant he practiced with the team but did not play in games. This helped him get ready for college basketball.

In his second year, he became a starter for the Utes. He averaged 10.8 points per game. As a junior in the 2016–17 season, he played even better. He averaged 16.4 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game. His great performance earned him first-team All-Pac-12 honors.

After his junior year, Kyle decided to enter the 2017 NBA draft. He gave up his last year of college basketball. Kyle graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in sociology.

Kyle Kuzma's Professional Journey

Playing for the Los Angeles Lakers (2017–2021)

The Brooklyn Nets picked Kyle Kuzma 27th overall in the 2017 NBA draft. However, he never played for them. On draft night, he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. He joined the Lakers along with Brook Lopez.

Kyle played very well in the 2017 NBA Summer League. He led the Lakers in scoring. He averaged 21.9 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. He was named to the All-Summer League Second Team. He also won the Summer League Championship Game MVP award. In that game, he scored 30 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.

Kuzma at Capital One Arena in 2018

On November 3, 2017, Kyle started his first NBA game. He scored 21 points and had 13 rebounds. This was his first "double-double." He was named the Western Conference Rookie of the Month for October/November. He was the first NBA rookie to get at least 330 points, 120 rebounds, and 30 three-pointers in his first 20 games.

On December 20, he scored a career-high 38 points. This helped the Lakers beat the Houston Rockets and end their 14-game winning streak. He played in the Rising Stars Challenge during the 2018 NBA All-Star Weekend. At the end of the season, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.

On January 9, 2019, Kyle scored a new career-high of 41 points against the Detroit Pistons. He was chosen for the Rising Stars game again. This time, he won the MVP award for the game, scoring 35 points.

On August 10, 2020, Kyle made a game-winning three-pointer. This shot helped the Lakers beat the Denver Nuggets 124–121. In the playoffs, he scored a career playoff high of 19 points in Game 3 of the NBA Finals. The Lakers went on to win the series 4–2. This gave them their 17th NBA championship.

In December 2020, Kyle signed a new three-year contract with the Lakers.

Joining the Washington Wizards (2021–present)

On August 6, 2021, Kyle Kuzma was traded to the Washington Wizards. This trade was part of a deal for Russell Westbrook. Kyle played his first game for the Wizards on October 20. He scored 11 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in a win against the Toronto Raptors.

On November 10, he made four three-pointers in the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Two of these shots came in the last 30 seconds, helping the Wizards win. On December 8, Kyle scored 26 points and hit another game-winning three-pointer against the Detroit Pistons.

On January 3, 2022, he scored a season-high 36 points. He also had 14 rebounds and six assists. On January 9, Kyle grabbed a career-high 22 rebounds. He also scored 27 points in a win against the Orlando Magic. On February 10, he got his first "triple-double." This means he had double-digit numbers in three stats: 15 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists.

On January 11, 2023, Kyle scored 21 points and made a game-winning three-pointer against the Chicago Bulls. In the next game, he scored a season-high 40 points against the New York Knicks.

In June 2023, Kyle decided to become a free agent. However, he signed a new four-year contract to stay with the Wizards.

Career Statistics

Here are Kyle Kuzma's basketball statistics. They show how well he has played in the NBA and college.

NBA

Regular season

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2017–18	L.A. Lakers	77	37	31.2	.450	.366	.707	6.3	1.8	.6	.4	16.1
2018–19	L.A. Lakers	70	68	33.1	.456	.303	.752	5.5	2.5	.6	.4	18.7
2019–20	L.A. Lakers	61	9	25.0	.436	.316	.735	4.5	1.3	.5	.4	12.8
2020–21	L.A. Lakers	68	32	28.7	.443	.361	.691	6.1	1.9	.5	.6	12.9
2021–22	Washington	66	66	33.4	.452	.341	.712	8.5	3.5	.6	.9	17.1
2022–23	Washington	64	64	35.0	.448	.333	.730	7.2	3.7	.6	.5	21.2
2023–24	Washington	70	70	32.6	.463	.336	.775	6.6	4.2	.5	.7	22.2
Career		476	346	31.3	.451	.337	.733	6.4	2.7	.6	.6	17.3

Play-in

Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2020	L.A. Lakers	21*	0	23.0	.430	.313	.784	3.1	.8	.3	.3	10.0
2021	L.A. Lakers	6	0	21.5	.292	.174	.667	3.8	1.2	.3	.2	6.3
Career		27	0	22.7	.401	.283	.761	3.3	.9	.3	.3	9.1

College

Awards and Honors

Kyle Kuzma has received many awards and honors during his career:

NBA

• NBA Rising Stars Challenge MVP (2019)
• 2× Rising Stars Challenge (2018, 2019)
• NBA All-Rookie First Team (2018)

College

• First-team All-Pac-12 (2017)

Kyle Kuzma's Personal Life

Since 2020, Kyle Kuzma has been in a relationship with Canadian model Winnie Harlow.

In 2020, Kyle met Bar Malik, who used to be a director for the Knicks. They decided to become business partners. They started a company called Drink Barcode. This company makes a fitness water drink called Barcode.

See also

In Spanish: Kyle Kuzma para niños