The Washington Wizards forward gives Boardroom the inside story on his path to becoming a founder and investor across multiple industries.
After winning a championship in Los Angeles with LeBron James and the Lakers, an offseason trade to the Wizards has Kyle Kuzma playing a huge role alongside Bradley Beal in DC.
But Kuz is so much more than the slick-scoring wing on the court. With endorsement deals with brands like Puma and GOAT, Kuzma utilizes numerous ways to supplement his current three-year, $40 million contract. That includes Barcode, a line of plant-based sports drinks he co-founded, as well as his clothing brand, Childhood Dreams.
Before the Wiz tip off their season on Wednesday night, Kuz explained the path that led him to Barcode and Childhood Dreams and how he views the broader world of fashion in the latest episode of Boardroom’s “Brick By Brick.”
As Kuzma explains to Boardroom:
“Investing and businesses, that’s a way for generational wealth. Real estate or little things to try to make other income while my primary thing is basketball.
“When you can tell people what exactly a product is and how it impacts your life, I think it’s really a win-win. And especially for me and who I am as a person, I’m very conscious of what I put in my body at all times, because being an athlete, my body is how I generate revenue. It just went hand in hand. It was super, super important to me. I saw the benefit for not only me, but society as well.
“Clothing has always been a big thing to me. Obviously, I love fashion and it’s a way for me to put my creativity on the line and also generate a business. Life is all about art, and I think the first impression in life is always what you wear. And I always look at fashion not as I’m just putting on clothes, but I’m putting together a story and putting together a look that when you see me, it’s a conversation piece. It’s something we can start a conversation over and talk about. There are just so many outlets that fashion brings.”