Panathinaikos Athens guard Kyle Guy's eponymous foundation draws on his huge popularity at a young age to steer donations to worthy causes.
Kyle Guy on his charitable foundation: 'Anybody can make a difference'
Interviews
5 Mins read
It may seem unusual for anyone who just turned 26 to have his own charitable foundation at such a young ago. But in fact, Kyle Guy of Panathinaikos Athens started his foundation four years ago, when he was making the transition to professional basketball.
"Since I was young, knew I wanted to open up a foundation, have a place where I could give back to the community where I'm from and around the world," Guy explains.
By then, Guy had already been a star at all levels. After being named Indiana's Mr. Basketball in high school, he took his talents to University of Virginia. In his third and last season there, back in 2019, Guy led Virgina to its first-ever NCAA title. He scored go-ahead free throws in the semifinals and the 24 points in the championship game against Texas Tech, and was voted the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player, the pinnacle of collegiate basketball.
Soon after reaching that success, he opened the Kyle Guy Foundation under the motto: "Be the change you want to see in the world". The foundation helps doners to choose the right causes, making sure the money is invested in the right way.
"So we literally are just a middleman," he explains. "If you want to support mental wellness or veterans or suicide prevention or whatever it is, then you contact us and then we go and find the suitors for your needs."
Mental health: A priority
It is no coincidence that Guy mentions mental wellness, as he has gone through his own struggles. He has been dealing with anxiety issues throughout his career. Guy has always been very open about the subject, attending forums and doing interviews and podcasts to discuss how he tried medication, therapists and self-improvement strategies. When he opened his foundation, Guy made sure that mental health was a priority topic he would help with.
"I think me having my own experience definitely helps," he says. "It helps me make that a focal point, something that I do focus on because so many people are struggling and never ask for help, or never know what to do, or how to talk about it. So, I like to be very open and transparent about my experiences."
It is hard to overstate how important that openness was in Guy's case, due to his sports stardom within his age group. In a state that lives and breathes basketball like nowhere else in the United States, not even Larry Bird was voted Indiana Mr. Basketball. According to guy, 14 of the biggest high school gyms in the world are located in Indiana, such is the fan base for youth basketball.
"There's a saying in Indiana: in 49 states it's just basketball, but in Indiana it means more," Guy notes, likening it to the basketball passion he’s found in Europe.
"It's similar. Europe is a different breed, though, in terms of the fans and the passion. This is some of the best atmospheres I've ever played in, and I've played in a lot of great ones in the States. So they're not too comparable. But the idea of loving basketball in Europe and Indiana is the same."
Guy's subsequently becoming MVP and champion at the Final Four, something the whole of the United Stats stops to watch for a month every year, took his impact to a whole new level and let him use his platform to reach out to more people.
"I definitely think anybody can make a difference and give back in any way possible, even if it's something small," Guy said. "But it helps that I have this platform."
Worthy causes easily accessed
Guy played in the United States, halfway between the NBA and the G League, for a couple of season. He helped Joventut Badalona reach the BKT EuroCup Semifinals last season, and now he's in his first Turkish Airlines EuroLeague campaign with Panathinaikos. Running his own foundation across the ocean was not easy at first but Guy found the way to make it work.
"I have a great team around me that can help facilitate things while I'm away. Last year it was tough because it was my first year overseas being away, but now it's my second year. I have some experience and I know how to make it happen now."
The Kyle Guy Foundation touches on any subject a donor wishes to influence and helps them make an impact.
"We've done social injustice, inequality, we've done veterans and mental illness," he said. "We've done suicide prevention, we've done environmental wellness, we've done a lot of things. And you know, I'm super proud of that."
To raise money, the Kyle Guy Foundation hosts fundraisers like an annual golf tournament, now in its fourth year, which has raised almost $150,000 to further the foundation's social impact goals.
"We've been doing really good with that," Guy says. "And I'm a big golf fan, so that's part of why we do the golf."
Donations can be directed through the foundation's social media channels – particularly Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) – where it is easy to follow what causes are being supported.
"I have an email in my Twitter and Instagram," Guy says. "You can also email and whatever you want to donate to, we have a person that will speak with you and guide you through how we go about the process. Whatever topic is important to you, we fulfill that."