Wizards' forward Kyle Kuzma has had a busy season on the court, but his off-the-court contributions have been equally as impressive. On Wednesday, Kuzma joined "Good Morning America" to discuss his career growth, fashion, and his path to the NBA. While on the show, Kuzma made a surprise announcement that he is donating $1 million to the YMCA in his hometown Flint, Michigan.
"The YMCA was amazing," said Kuzma. "For me, it was a place where I could be safe and I could just be myself. A lot of times, my mom would be working eight, nine hours a day, and I would have to take the bus sometimes super early in the morning in the summers just to be there, and I wanted to be there... Me being able to get to the Y early and play against the older guys at like 12 when they had their lunch break, and me being able to stay until five to play with my guys, it's helped shape my life, who I am today."
The CEO of the Flint YMCA, Shelly Hilton, and Kuzma's mother, Karri, were in the Flint YMCA gym along with staff and other volunteers when Kuzma made the announcement on "Good Morning America," saying, "I'm extremely excited to give you guys this opportunity. I know for me, the YMCA has been an extremely big part of my life, and I never really had amazing resources, and for you guys, I want to make sure you guys have that. And the younger generation in Flint."
When asked how this will help the community, Hilton said, "This is so special. It's so personal for the Flint YMCA. This gift is going to help us build a state-of-the-art facility. It's going to be a place for summer basketball camps. It's going to be a place for families to come recreate together for pickup games. It's extremely exciting."
Karri Kuzma was overcome with emotions when talking about her son and his generosity, saying, "I think it's just going to be a great thing for the community, and the city of Flint, and for the members. I think it's something that they really deserve. They've hung in there with this Y for so many years... Kyle, thank you so much for being such a great human and giving back."