Wazzup Pilipinas!?
We were fortunate enough to be able to attend Kyle Kuzma's press conference (August 26, 2024) and also got an up close opportunity to interview him.
Afterwards, he headed to a basketball clinic for kids in partnership with the Quezon City LGU and Navitas, a non-traditional learning center focused on educating kids in non-classroom type environments. Here, he led the kids in drills and participated in scrimmages.
The day before (August 25, 2024), he had a special guest appearance with a But First, Coffee Philippines event held at the Main Atrium of SM Mall of Asia.
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August 26 (AM) - Press Conference and Media Availability
On relationship with Kobe:
[My relationship with Kobe] means the world, it means everything. I think I was very blessed and fortunate when I first came into the NBA to build relationship, real relationship with [Kobe] and ask him about a lot of different things whether it was basketball, life, business, relationship, what to do, what not to do. You know I think coming into the NBA being 22 years old, 21, 22 and having somebody like that as a mentor you know to just guide me but also just for me to take his words and do whatever with them is invaluable.
On his passion for fashion:
Q: At least in your 24 hours in Manila did anything resonate with you of course in that sense Kyle and of course at the Asian fashion and culture?
I feel like it always has. I feel like I've always admired Asian fashion. I think a lot of the trends are always set over here. You know I think you know people on the east side of the world are very tasteful. You know they care about materials, fabrics, what they wear, how they present themselves, greetings so I think naturally I've always kind of took that a little bit so.
On clothing brand Childhood Dreams:
I really want to bring more of it out here.
I think that's something that is my next steps—meeting more people over here [like] distributors to share my artistry and what I look at as clothing. So that's definitely the top of my agenda for sure.
On his passion for art:
I've always been interested in art. I think it started as a kid. I used to draw as a kid a lot whether it was elementary. I always had a notebook with me drawing anime characters and Dragon Ball Z and certain landscapes and houses and stuff. So I think naturally being that way as a kid really made me who I am today with how much I love actual art or collecting art or clothing and fashion because that's art as well.
So I think it all just ties in and that started when I was child.
On non-profit supporting single mothers and their children:
I think that's super important. I know when I was a kid I didn't have a good life for sure but also it was challenging in a way. I grew up with a single mother.
Mom worked a bunch of different jobs. Two jobs sometimes. Grandmother had to raise us a bunch of times. I had to babysit by myself at a young age with my two younger siblings. So I understand what it was like to have humble beginnings and you know not a crazy head start into life and I think that the way my mom is, she runs our nonprofit. She is president and I think it's important to give back and especially it's related with me– like you said– single mothers, underprivileged kids.
That was me. That was us. So it's important.
On building a winning culture with the Wizards:
I think that's the most important thing to me right now because you know the past two seasons
I've had career years and I've gotten better and better. I like to win. I felt how to win and I think that having career years are good but you know it's not as fun if the people with you aren't having career years as well and having collective team wins so I think this year is all about building that and helping others get better.
So yeah that's super important to me you know trying to just build a winning culture. Last year was the first year of our rebuild. This is year two.
We're a young team but we have a lot of talent and you know good character guys. We had a mini camp a couple weeks ago with the whole team the new guys so it'll be great. What is it like right now you know more the Mamba mentality of course you gotta build and rebuild to be successful in your own way.
On taking on a leadership role and having a Mamba Mentality:
You just have to live it everyday. I think I do that because at the end of the day I've been in the league for eight years, and I love it just as if I was a kid still. You know as you get older you take a little bit more breaks in the off season but you know when I have a basketball in my hands when I'm training I feel like a kid again and I think that's what always keeps me going and pushes me to kind of strive for that mentality.
It’s all about passion so you know if you love something you're gonna do it to the best of your ability so.
On what Filipino fans can expect from him:
A lot. Like I said, this is my first time being here and [I got] unbelievable reception and love coming here. I've always wanted to come here so I think now that the world is really open back up and a lot of us are able to travel more and be back over in Asia Southeast Asia and Philippines something that I plan to do every year to get back on track. Because at the beginning of my career I was always in Asia and they got derailed a little bit but I'm back.
On his message to Filipino fans:
Thank you guys for all coming out. This is incredible– just the love here is amazing. I truly, truly appreciate it and I'm excited to see a lot more to come.
Here are the events together with some photos, Wazzup Pilipinas was able to cover:
August 25 - But First, Coffee Fan Meet
August 25 - But First, Coffee Fan Meet
August 26 (AM) - Press Conference and Media Availability
August 26 (PM) - Basketball Clinic in Partnership with QC LGU
Below are some of the questions and answers transcribed from his interviews:
On relationship with Kobe:
[My relationship with Kobe] means the world, it means everything. I think I was very blessed and fortunate when I first came into the NBA to build relationship, real relationship with [Kobe] and ask him about a lot of different things whether it was basketball, life, business, relationship, what to do, what not to do. You know I think coming into the NBA being 22 years old, 21, 22 and having somebody like that as a mentor you know to just guide me but also just for me to take his words and do whatever with them is invaluable.
On his passion for fashion:
Q: At least in your 24 hours in Manila did anything resonate with you of course in that sense Kyle and of course at the Asian fashion and culture?
I feel like it always has. I feel like I've always admired Asian fashion. I think a lot of the trends are always set over here. You know I think you know people on the east side of the world are very tasteful. You know they care about materials, fabrics, what they wear, how they present themselves, greetings so I think naturally I've always kind of took that a little bit so.
On clothing brand Childhood Dreams:
I really want to bring more of it out here.
I think that's something that is my next steps—meeting more people over here [like] distributors to share my artistry and what I look at as clothing. So that's definitely the top of my agenda for sure.
On his passion for art:
I've always been interested in art. I think it started as a kid. I used to draw as a kid a lot whether it was elementary. I always had a notebook with me drawing anime characters and Dragon Ball Z and certain landscapes and houses and stuff. So I think naturally being that way as a kid really made me who I am today with how much I love actual art or collecting art or clothing and fashion because that's art as well.
So I think it all just ties in and that started when I was child.
On non-profit supporting single mothers and their children:
I think that's super important. I know when I was a kid I didn't have a good life for sure but also it was challenging in a way. I grew up with a single mother.
Mom worked a bunch of different jobs. Two jobs sometimes. Grandmother had to raise us a bunch of times. I had to babysit by myself at a young age with my two younger siblings. So I understand what it was like to have humble beginnings and you know not a crazy head start into life and I think that the way my mom is, she runs our nonprofit. She is president and I think it's important to give back and especially it's related with me– like you said– single mothers, underprivileged kids.
That was me. That was us. So it's important.
On building a winning culture with the Wizards:
I think that's the most important thing to me right now because you know the past two seasons
I've had career years and I've gotten better and better. I like to win. I felt how to win and I think that having career years are good but you know it's not as fun if the people with you aren't having career years as well and having collective team wins so I think this year is all about building that and helping others get better.
So yeah that's super important to me you know trying to just build a winning culture. Last year was the first year of our rebuild. This is year two.
We're a young team but we have a lot of talent and you know good character guys. We had a mini camp a couple weeks ago with the whole team the new guys so it'll be great. What is it like right now you know more the Mamba mentality of course you gotta build and rebuild to be successful in your own way.
On taking on a leadership role and having a Mamba Mentality:
You just have to live it everyday. I think I do that because at the end of the day I've been in the league for eight years, and I love it just as if I was a kid still. You know as you get older you take a little bit more breaks in the off season but you know when I have a basketball in my hands when I'm training I feel like a kid again and I think that's what always keeps me going and pushes me to kind of strive for that mentality.
It’s all about passion so you know if you love something you're gonna do it to the best of your ability so.
On what Filipino fans can expect from him:
A lot. Like I said, this is my first time being here and [I got] unbelievable reception and love coming here. I've always wanted to come here so I think now that the world is really open back up and a lot of us are able to travel more and be back over in Asia Southeast Asia and Philippines something that I plan to do every year to get back on track. Because at the beginning of my career I was always in Asia and they got derailed a little bit but I'm back.
On his message to Filipino fans:
Thank you guys for all coming out. This is incredible– just the love here is amazing. I truly, truly appreciate it and I'm excited to see a lot more to come.
Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
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