We are excited to introduce a new Plywood Person. Kyle Korver played basketball in college at Creighton in Omaha, NE. He played for the Philadelphia 76ers, and currently plays for the Utah Jazz. Along with his impressive basketball career, Kyle also created a foundation. The Kyle Korver Foundation began literally on the streets of Philadelphia working with city kids. Meeting with children in the projects north of center city, it became clear that bleak urban statistics are nameless faceless numbers that do not tell the whole story. The Kyle Korver foundation believes that a grassroots individualistic approach is the way to enact change. One child, one family, one class, one school, one neighborhood, one city.
Jeff Shinabarger: You have quickly learned the influence you have as a professional athlete. What is the dream you have in transferring that influence in doing good within the community?
Kyle Korver: Wherever life takes me, I have come across great people with great hearts. Ideally, we as a foundation would like to help these people do what it is that they are passionate about. In Philly I have friends who have a huge heart for a neighborhood in North Philly. So we’re helping them bless that neighborhood. In SLC we have a friend whose gift is construction, so we’ve created a company where he is able to go out and fix peoples homes. The hope is that this doesn’t just bless the people who are helped, but it also gives the people we hire the opportunity to do what they enjoy and utilize the gifts that they have been given.
Jeff: Your foundation is focused on three cities what is the significance in those cities related to your personal story?
Kyle: The 3 cities we are in right now are the cities that basketball has taken me so far. Omaha, NE, is where I went to college. Then the NBA brought me to Philly and Salt Lake City. Each city has had a huge impact on me, and as I look back I can see how each city brought me through a different stage of life. This is just a way of me saying thank you.
Jeff: How did this new clothing brand begin and who is benefiting from the clothing?
Kyle: The idea came up a couple of years ago. I’ve always been a huge t-shirt guy, and have always killed time by searching the internet for new ones. As we started the process of this foundation, we realized how much money it costs. We’ve done several fundraisers, but came up with the idea or starting a t-shirt line that could be a steady source of income for the foundation so that we wouldn’t have to rely so much on the fundraisers successes. We have some big goals and dreams for what we would like to accomplish someday, and if we could create a successful line, this would really help. All proceeds go directly to the foundation. When you buy a shirt, the cost of the shirt pays for itself, and the rest goes to our foundation. We don’t make any money off of any sales.
Jeff: There is no doubt that the kids have gripped your heart and passion. Is there one story that really sticks with you and has defined what you have created?
Kyle: I don’t know if there is one specific story. One of the first things we did was put up basketball hoops at the kids’ school, which happens to be a block from the mission where we meet. At first you could sense that in the neighborhoods eyes, we were just a bunch of white kids, coming to be do-gooders… see if they make it… but after the hoop it was like we were in. It wasn’t just the kids, the adults in the neighborhood started coming up. The school courts have been used by the neighborhood for years. They had always been run down hoops, but those courts were a huge part of the community. One day a local drug dealer went up to my friend Adam Bruckner, who runs all the programs at the mission, and with tears in his eyes, said, “thank you.” over time we had earned the respect of the community. Parents felt comfortable with us pouring into their kids.
Jeff: Now, switching gears a little – lets talk hoops. Unpack your favorite moment, game or shot in your career to date?
Kyle: My favorite game probably goes back to college. The championship game of the MVC tournament my senior year. We were playing our biggest rival, Southern Illinois. There was a lot of buildup for that game. Lots of hatred between the schools..haha. Anyway, we pounded them. By like 50. I know usually your favorite game is a buzzer beater or a close game, but I really enjoyed that game. The expressions on their fans faces were priceless.
Go to Seer Clothing to buy a shirt now.
Learn more about the Kyle Korver Foundation.
