Washington forward Kyle Kuzma has nothing but praises for the late Kobe Bryant and credited the former Lakers star for giving him life lessons that go beyond the hardcourt.

Kuzma has averaged 22.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in 70 games with the Wizards in the 2023-24 NBA season.

One of the things he thanked for were his learning from Bryant – the man behind the “Mamba Mentality".

“I think I’m really blessed and fortunate when I came to San Diego to build a real relationship with him and asked him about a lot of different things whether it was basketball, life, business, relationship, what to do and not to do,” said Kuzma.

“I think coming into the NBA, 21 or 22 years old, and having somebody like that as a mentor,” he added.

For Kuzma, living up to his words is something he is grateful for in terms of his passion in the game.

“I mean, you just have to live it every day, you know. I think I do that, you know, 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,” Kuzma said.

“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,” he added.

That mentality is carried on by Kuzma who is eyeing to someday bring the winning culture to Washington after finishing 14th place in the Eastern Conference with 15 wins against 67 losses. 

”So I think, you know, this year is all about building that and helping others get better,” Kuzma continued. 

“So yeah, that's super important to me. You know, trying to just build the winning culture. Last year was the first year of our rebuild.”

Kuzma gives back

Kuzma’s mom, Karri, who survived all the trials and agony of being a single mother just to give him a better life, is also his source of inspiration.

And with the success he had achieved, Kyle just wants to give back in order to honor his mom’s sacrifices when he and his younger siblings were still little.

“Just giving back,” said Kyle when asked about one of his missions in creating the “Kyle Kuzma Family Foundation” (KKFF).

Having a normal life and seeing his mother do it all, Kyle knew how relevant it was to pursue his personal mission of helping single mothers and their children.

“I think that's super, super important. I know when I was a kid, I had a good life for sure, but also it was challenging in a certain sense,” he added.