NBA Star Kyle Kuzma Breaks Ground On New YMCA In His Hometown

In January, Washington Wizards star Kyle Kuzma announced he was donating $1 million to help build a new YMCA in his hometown of Flint, Michigan. On Friday, he was present for the groundbreaking of the new facility.

Earlier this year, Kuzma announced that he was donating $1 million to the YMCA of Greater Flint to help move their facility near the Mass Transportation Authority center in the downtown area. The $41 million facility will include a full basketball court, track, family splash pad and spa, a six-lane lap pool, and locker rooms.

Kuzma's donation, through the Kyle Kuzma Foundation, will be used to build the gymnasium in the new location, and it will be named after Kuzma. The groundbreaking for the new facility occurred last week, and Kuzma was on hand to help.

In a recent Instagram post, the NBA star shared a carousel of photos of the groundbreaking, and the YMCA captioned, "Today we did the groundbreaking for the new YMCA in the city of Flint, Michigan! This means so much more than anything I've ever done."

His caption continued to explain that when he was a child, he couldn't always afford a daily pass at the YMCA, but the ladies who worked there "saw a child that probably had nowhere else to go and had a love for the game of basketball."

"Many times, they would push me through and let me be at the Y all day until my mother could pick me up after her work shifts," the caption continued. "Bless you both; my family and I are extremely grateful for you two. I'm hoping that one day another kid from Flint who aspires to be an athlete, artist, or even a doctor can use these wonderful resources we are creating for our community."

Fellow NBA player Donovan Mitchell dropped into the comments to leave, "🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾."

One of his fans wrote, "Thank you for changing our city, brother. I can't even begin to put my thoughts into words bc you know where we come from. Just know that this accomplishment feels like we all won. Truly happy for you, and hope you find success in all your investments."

Another follower added, "This gym saved so many lives!!! Glad it's here to stay! A real one!"

When Kuzma announced his donation in January, he explained why this project is so important to him during an interview on Good Morning America.

"Growing up in Flint, the YMCA was my home away from home. It was my safe place, and looking back now; it truly was the birthplace of many of the dreams I had as a young kid," he explained. "This donation is for the next generation, and I hope this new facility can provide them with the same thing that it did for me: a place to dream."

When asked about his childhood at the YMCA, Kuzma said it was "amazing."

"It was where I could be safe and just be myself. My mom would often be working eight, nine hours a day, and I would have to take the bus sometimes super early in the summer just to be there. I wanted to be there because there's nothing to do at home, and I love basketball," he explained.

"Me being able to get to the Y to play against the older guys at 12 when they had their lunch break and staying until 5 to play with my guys; it's helped shape my life into who I am today."

The new facility is expected to open around January 2025.