MILWAUKEE Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma returned to the Philippines for his “Kuzmanila II” tour, delivering an inspiring message to Filipino basketball players aspiring to make it to the NBA.
On Wednesday, Kuzma had a busy schedule, starting with his appearance at the unveiling of a mural dedicated to him at the Barangay 901 basketball court in North Compound Tenement, Sta. Ana, Manila.
As he stepped onto the court, the NBA star greeted cheering fans with a wave and received a warm welcome from the local community, joined by Manila Mayor Isko Moreno during the mural unveiling.
Kuzma later led a brief basketball clinic for local kids, engaging with young aspiring players and thrilling the crowd by showcasing his basketball skills.
“Thank you guys all for being here. It’s truly an incredible moment. As I look here, I stand in awe of all you guys support. It’s my second time in the Philippines, in Manila and my first time here I really, really felt the love,” Kuzma said.
“I thought it was amazing how much you guys know about basketball and me. When they came up with this opportunity to be in front of you guys at this court, I couldn’t turn down this opportunity to be here with you guys.”
“This is truly special and a great moment I will never forget. Thank you guys so so much for being here, trying to get into your culture and for making me feel right at home,” the former Los Angeles Laker added.
Keep Dreaming
Later in the day, Kuzma attended an intimate meet-and-greet held at Okada Manila Hotel in Parañaque City. When asked whether height plays a big role in making it to the NBA, he responded confidently, saying that “anybody can make it.”
“In the game of basketball, you look at… there are a lot of point guards that are like 6-foot-7. It’s hard, you know, It’s hard, it’s a big league. But that does not mean you can’t make it,” Kuzma said.
“At the end of the day, like, anybody really can make it, you know. You just have to work, you have to have a lot of luck. A lot of luck is an important part of being successful, you know. When you have luck, be prepared for that,” he added.
To this day, no full-blooded Filipino has made it to the NBA. Among the most recent hopefuls are Gilas Pilipinas standouts—7-foot-3 center Kai Sotto and versatile forward Kevin Quiambao—who pursued their NBA dreams but came short.
“It’s very, very important to meet that opportunity. You know, if you make it to the NBA, you’re a part of that, which is 1% of the top players in the world. It’s so hard to do it, regardless if you’re tall, short,” he said.
“If they want to carve their own path. It’s super cliche because everybody says it, but it’s really the truth. Just work hard and just block out all the noise and just believe in yourself,” he added.
Kuzma wrapped up a packed three-day visit to the Philippines—his second trip to the country since last year—held from August 18 to 20. His encouraging words are sure to motivate more Filipino basketball players to keep dreaming—and to dream big.
