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Kyle Kuzma is a lot of things. He\u2019s a forward for the Washington Wizards NBA team and a 2020 NBA champion. He\u2019s also a style icon \u2014 depending on who you ask<\/a> \u2014 and an angel investor. Now he\u2019s an adviser at a venture fund too.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m part of a new generation of the NBA,\u201d Kuzma told TechCrunch in a phone interview. \u201cFor me, I\u2019ve always been a hustler and somebody that is very interested in business and doing things just to set up my family\u2019s generational wealth. I think getting into venture is only going to take that to a different stratosphere.\u201d<\/p>\n Kuzma, 28, joined early-stage-focused Scrum Ventures in March as an adviser to help with the firm\u2019s sports and entertainment fund, which is targeting $120 million. The partnership started in January when Kuzma\u2019s agent, Austin Eastman, was connected to Scrum managing director and partner Michael Proman. Kuzma said he was impressed with Scrum\u2019s team. Proman said the positive sentiment was mutual.<\/p>\n \u201cThe thing about Kyle is, I personally didn\u2019t really even understand how extensive his interests were in the venture space until after getting introduced,\u201d Proman, a former NBA employee on the business development team, said. \u201cKyle is really interested in understanding the venture playbook but more so from the venture side.\u201d<\/p>\n Proman said Scrum\u2019s sports fund, where Kuzma will be helping, is a little different than other sports-focused VC funds, because it focuses on tech that could be useful to athletes or enterprise sports customers and is also applicable to other industries. Ozlo Sleepbuds is a good example. The company makes earbuds to help people sleep better. While sleeping well is incredibly important for athletes, it\u2019s important far beyond professional sports too. Scrum participated in the company\u2019s $6 million seed round earlier this year.<\/p>\n Scrum\u2019s broad approach to sports tech makes Kuzma a good adviser, as opposed to another NBA player, Proman said, because Kuzma has already invested across several sectors. Kuzma started angel investing in 2020 and has built up a portfolio that includes soda alternative Lemon Perfect, which has gone on to raise an additional $67.8 million<\/a> in venture capital; consumer data company, Surf; and watch marketplace, Bezel.<\/p>\n \u201cHis investment portfolio is pretty diverse; it\u2019s not just your classic sports tech,\u201d Proman said. \u201cThere are a lot of folks out there that want to invest into what they do 24\/7, and while they may be great at providing insights and analysis of those technologies, in many cases those aren\u2019t venture-backable technologies.\u201d<\/p>\n Kuzma said he plans to be a hands-on investor, and while he knows a name like his could be a marketing boon for the companies he works with, he said he doesn\u2019t just want to rest there and would rather use his status to help companies expand their network using his connections. He also thinks his experience playing basketball makes him a good fit as a VC because he\u2019s used to working in a competitive environment where you don\u2019t succeed unless you work as a team.<\/p>\n \u201cI bring a competitive nature,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen you play sports at the highest level like the NBA, you are playing chess and not checkers. We are smart; we are not just athletes. We are not just people that play sports and not do anything else.\u201d<\/p>\n Kuzma\u2019s presence has already proved beneficial for the firm, Proman said, as working with an athlete like Kuzma has led to an uptick in inbound interest in the firm. Good inbound interest \u2014 he clarified.<\/p>\n Kuzma isn\u2019t the first NBA player to get involved with venture capital. Kevin Durant\u2019s family office, 35V, invests heavily in startups. Steph Curry is the anchor LP of Penny Jar Capital. Former players like Andre Iguodala and Michael Redd have taken more formal roles in the industry, too, by launching firms of their own, Mosaic and 22 Ventures, respectively. Kuzma is the latest NBA player to dive into venture, but he likely won\u2019t be the latest for long.<\/p>\n \u201cJoining Scrum Ventures is really exciting for me,\u201d Kuzma said. \u201cI want to further my portfolio and just my reach in the VC world. As athletes, they always tell you to diversify your portfolio as much as you can. This is the next iteration of me as an entrepreneur.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n