“My mom would always drop me off at the YMCA downtown in Flint, and I’d stay there all day.” That’s not just a quote—it’s a whole picture. A tired mom, juggling jobs, dropping her son off with a bag and a dream. A kid, barely tall enough to shoot properly, spending hours on the court like it was home. No fancy trainers, no cameras. Just a ball, a rim, and time.

If you look at his mom’s story, you will know that she is a working nonstop, doing what she can. Sometimes that meant the YMCA was the best she could offer—and Kyle made the most of it. But, to get a deeper picture of her story, let’s look at Kyle’s childhood stories and his family background.

Who is Kyle Kuzma’s mother Karri Kuzma? Was she a single mother?

Born and raised in the gritty Flint, Michigan area, Kyle Kuzma grew up surrounded by hard truths, cold winters, and the constant shuffle of moving from one home to another. But through it all, one person held it down—his mom, Karri Kuzma.

Karri is a single mother, but that didn’t stop her from becoming an anchor, a coach, a cheerleader, a ride, and a provider—whatever her kids needed her to be, she became it. She raised Kyle and his three siblings independently, figuring it out as she went. No manual. No fallback plan. Just determination and love.

She got pregnant in college while attending Hillsdale on a track scholarship. That meant goodbye to athletics, goodbye to her degree. “Looking back, I was close enough to finishing my degree that maybe I could have found a way to stay and graduate, but I have no regrets because raising Kyle was the best decision I ever made.” She meant that.

You won’t believe it, but Karri was an excellent athlete herself! She was a state champion in shot put, good enough to earn a scholarship. She also played varsity basketball and volleyball. So, yeah, sports were in the blood. She made sure that she wanted her kids to love sports, too. When Kyle was two, she put a toy hoop in the living room. And that was it. That was the spark.

However, to fulfill the needs of her family, she, along with her kids, moved nine times in sixteen years. At one point, they were living in a basement. She worked multiple jobs, sometimes two at once. Management gigs came and went, and the bills kept coming. Still, she always found a way.

But what’s incredible is that, through all this chaos, Karri managed to keep things grounded. She didn’t just push Kyle to chase a dream—she gave him the tools. That kind of structure doesn’t come from a playbook. It comes from grit. Now, all this time, you must be wondering about his father. Kyle only met his biological father once, as a baby. That absence shaped him, but his mom’s presence defined him. The connection between them is unshakable. She’s there before every game, texting him advice, asking how he feels. Kyle said, “Mom was always hitting me up to check on how I was doing and give some motherly advice. She was asking how I felt about how I was playing and was telling me to just let everybody see what I can do on the court.”

She gave him more than advice, though. She gave him belief. That’s a different kind of gift. It’s surprising, as we know what it really takes to raise four kids alone. They say, ” it takes a village to raise a kids,” then think about four. Especially when you’re sacrificing your own dreams to help them build theirs. Karri eventually went back to school and earned an associate’s degree in business management. Somehow, she made time for that too.

Now, Kyle’s an NBA player with the Milwaukee Bucks, but the credit goes to his mother. Behind every rebound, there’s a mother who taught him how to bounce back. No flashy quotes. No movie-moment speeches. Just a mom doing the work. And honestly, that’s way more inspiring. But it wasn’t just his mother; there was someone who he considers a father.

Who is Kyle Kuzma’s stepfather, Larry Smith?

Larry Smith wasn’t Kyle Kuzma’s biological dad, but he showed up like one. As we know, Kyle met his real father only once, as a baby, and he barely remembers anything about him. But Larry was there early, and he stuck around for 13 years. He and Karri were partners through some of the hardest years. Larry helped raise Kyle and is the father of Kyle’s younger siblings.

The hooper doesn’t shy away from the truth. “It’s not a big deal to me, not knowing my actual father, because I got used to it growing up and (Larry) has been great to me.” And that’s what matters, really.

He wasn’t just the guy in the house. He showed up. He was the first one to play basketball with Kyle. They put up a Little Tykes hoop in the living room together. That’s where it all started. A plastic rim, a kid with a big dream, and a stepdad who didn’t treat him like a step-anything.

What stands out is how naturally Kyle talks about Larry. There’s no drama, no need to prove anything. Larry was just there, showing Kyle how to shoot, how to focus, how to believe.

Honestly, it says a lot about both of them. Kyle for being open to that love, and Larry for giving it freely. He didn’t have to. But he did. He played a quiet, steady role in Kyle’s life. Supported his basketball dreams. Backed him when things got tough. Those early years matter more than people think. Maybe that’s why Kyle never seemed bitter about his real dad. He had Larry. He had what he needed. Not everyone gets that kind of second chance with a father figure. Kyle did. And he never forgot it. However, now that we know his parents, let’s look into his siblings.

Who are Kyle Kuzma’s siblings?

Kyle Kuzma has two younger siblings—Andre and Briana. They’re close, real close. When Kyle won his first NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers, Andre posted on Instagram: “Words can’t describe how proud I am of you, kid. You just wrote ur own piece of history on to the next. TMC 🏁” That hit different. You could feel the pride.

They grew up together in close quarters, moving from one place to another. And that built something strong. Kyle’s never acted like the big NBA star around them. Just their brother. Well, you can tell—they’ve always been in this together.