Kyle Kuzma arrived in Hong Kong early Tuesday ahead of a matchup between a team full of NBA stars and the best the Chinese Basketball Association has to offer, and said the region’s fashion scene is one of the things that keeps him coming back.
The Washington Wizard, who won the 2020 NBA Finals with the Los Angeles Lakers, is known for his unique off-court looks and is no stranger to the runway, having walked at New York Fashion Week.
“Shanghai is a very interesting, artistic, fashionable city that is developing a lot,” Kuzma said. “I am a big fan of Asian fashion, jeans, cuts, loose cuts.”
He also has an impressive watch collection, ranging from Rolexes and Audemars Piguets to a one-of-a-kind De Bethune.
Although he is a regular visitor to mainland China, Kuzma was visiting Hong Kong for the first time and said he wanted to see “all the watches” in a city well known for its luxury wristwatches.
The 25-year-old is just the latest in a long line of NBA stars to visit Hong Kong, and said part of the appeal of the trip was immersing himself in a different culture.
While Kuzma, Jimmy Butler, Paul George and James Harden will be back on the court at the Asian World-Expo in a charity game organized by the foundation run by Chinese NBA legend Yao Ming, the first three were on the court Tuesday morning to put on a show against some of their CBA counterparts.
Kuzma said it was “unreal” to have fans across Asia, adding that he appreciated the distinct cultural themes that distinguish the Eastern Hemisphere.
“It’s a different culture, I really value that,” Kuzma said. “Meeting people, seeing them and seeing how they move around here is very different from the Western world.”
However, both sides of the globe certainly share a love for basketball, and Kuzma said he believes the influence of players like Kobe Bryant has been “huge and everlasting.”
“When you think about all the Asian countries that love basketball, I think our influence has been global,” Kuzma said. “Kobe coming here was huge. And it’s only going to continue to grow.”
