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How Kyle Kuzma recruited Delon Wright to D.C., learned fashion from him

By Chase Hughes

How Kyle Kuzma recruited new teammate Delon Wright to D.C. originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

WASHINGTON — Long before he was going viral for wearing a long-sleeved pink turtleneck before a game with the Wizards last season, Kyle Kuzma had a much more normal fashion sense as a college student. This was years before he would sign an NBA contract, travel the globe and work with professional stylists.

But he had a connection to that world via his University of Utah teammate Delon Wright, whose older brother, Dorell, would give him hand-me-downs. Dorell played 11 years in the NBA and made enough money to the point he could let go of some designer clothes after cycling through them a few times.

Dorell would give his clothes to Delon, who would wear them himself. Then, he would pass them onto his teammates. 

“Kuz was one of the guys that I passed them to. I don’t take credit for [his fashion sense nowadays], but he knows. He definitely took it to another level. I could never go to where he goes,” Delon said.

“All the crazy stuff, that’s on his own. I will never take credit for that. But initially, him getting a taste of the finer clothes, I probably definitely introduced him to that.”

Delon Wright met with Wizards media members for the first time on Tuesday at a camp for local kids at Trinity Unversity in Northeast Washington. He said Kuzma helped lure him to D.C.

Kuzma pitched Wright on the opportunity the Wizards had in their backcourt. Wright is lined up to be their primary back-up guard and a key cog in their defense.

Wright, 30, ultimately signed a 2-year deal in free agency and considers Kuzma as a big reason why.

“He was probably a better recruiter than [Wizards president] Tommy [Sheppard],” Wright joked.

The Wizards had the 25th-ranked defense last season in part because they couldn’t stop dribble penetration by guards on the perimeter. At 6-foot-5, Wright is a big defender at the point guard position and is known for forcing turnovers.

He’s also a solid 3-point shooter, having knocked down 37.9% from deep last season with Atlanta. The Wizards, meanwhile, were 30th out of 30 NBA teams last season in 3-pointers made.

Understandably, Kuzma saw Wright as a perfect fit for the Wizards. 

“He knows what I can do. That was his recruitment pitch,” Wright said.

While Kuzma and Wright get along very well, there may be some competition between them when it comes to pregame fashion. Kuzma may get a lot of attention for his fits, but Wright has his own reputation to uphold.

“I’m definitely going to step it up this year. I’ve gotta compete. I’ve been the best-dressed on most of my teams, but Kuz is [tough],” Wright said.

Wizards make history with win despite huge 3-point shooting deficit

By Chase Hughes
Wizards make history with huge 3-point margin originally appeared on NBC Sports WashingtonThe Wizards made five 3-pointers on Wednesday and their opponent, the Sixers, made 19. If that sounds like a major disadvantage, well, it usually is. All of the previous 27 times an NBA team made five threes or fewer and allowed their opponent to make 19 or more, they lost.Somehow, the Wizards bucked that trend to make NBA history and do something no team had ever done before. Outscoring the Sixers 68-38 in the paint was the biggest reason, as that 30-point edge helped offset the 42-point advantage the Sixers had on the perimeter. The result was a 121-111 road victory for Washington, improving their record to 4-4.Tyrese Maxey of the Sixers had five threes all by himself, tying the Wizards as a team. Tobias Harris added four triples, while his teammates James Harden and Georges Niang had three apiece.For the Wizards, Kyle Kuzma made two threes. The only other ones to get a perimeter shot to fall were Bradley Beal, Kristaps Porzingis and Will Barton, who each made one.The Wizards were 5-for-21 from three overall, which breaks out to 23.8%. The Sixers were 19-for-36, good for 52.8%. That's a tremendous shooting night, yet they lost.Just shooting as well from three as the Sixers did is generally an airtight path towards victory. In the last three seasons, teams that have made 19 or more threes, shooting 50% or better, were 112-5.In the same span of time, teams that made five threes or fewer, shooting 25% or worse, were 24-71. The Wizards defied gargantuan odds to pull out the victory.It helped that they otherwise played well offensively. The Wizards scored 121 points, shot 57.7% from the field overall, 26-for-32 from the free throw line (81.3%) and committed only seven turnovers.Porzingis had 30 points and Beal had 29, shooting a combined 20-for-30 (66.7%). Whenever their best players perform like that, the Wizards are going to be in good shape.Washington also defended well aside from the 3-point line. They came into the game allowing the fewest paint points (40.6/g) in the league, yet held the Sixers below that number. Washington outrebounded them 43-32 and blocked nine shots.Philly had a monster third quarter with 39 points, but the Wizards locked down in the fourth to hold them to just 21 points. The Sixers didn't score in the final 2:30 and missed their final four attempts.So, the Wizards made it work, even if the 3-point differential wasn't ideal. Prior history, though, would suggest it's not a recipe for success moving forward.Surely, the Wizards will hope for better results at the 3-point line on both ends of the floor. After making only five threes on Wednesday, the Wizards are averaging only 9.6 per game, 28th in the NBA. And on defense, after giving up 19 to the Sixers just three days after allowing 21 to the Celtics, the Wizards are giving up 13.8 threes per game, ranking 24th in the league.Perimeter shooting has become uniquely important in today's NBA. Many games come down to which team wins the 3-point margin.The Wizards essentially invented a new way to win a basketball game on Wednesday night. They may never be able to replicate it, but a win is a win.
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