The Transition: Kyle Guy

From the NBA to Europe. onetwo goes in-depth with Kyle Guy about life in Barcelona, football culture, fashion, and more.

Kyle Guy – one of the most prominent NCAA basketball players in the modern era.

After winning the 2019 NCAA tournament with the University of Virginia in dramatic fashion, he was drafted in the second round as the 55th pick overall in the 2019 NBA draft. He was initially drafted by the New York Knicks but was immediately traded to the Sacramento Kings.

Following several years bouncing around the G League and a stint with the Miami Heat, we are now watching Kyle ply his trade with Joventut Badalona, a team that plays in the Liga ACB and Eurocup. They are one of the two teams to have never been relegated from Spain's highest tier of basketball.

onetwo traveled to Badalona, a city on the outskirts of Barcelona and known for its massive basketball culture, to watch Kyle in action against Ucam Murcia. Jovetut are currently in sixth place in the table with a 14-7 record. Similarly to La Liga, Real Madrid and Barcelona are currently leading the way in the division.

“A massive transition from NBA compared to European basketball”

The transition from the NBA to European basketball has been good but a bit weird. You saw it today with the different rules such as being able to hit it off the rim and no defensive three seconds. The league is also very physical and organized, however not as fast compared to the NBA.

Now that we are halfway through the season, I am finally getting into my groove and understanding how to be more efficient on the court.

Kyle definitely showed his adaptation to the European game today, leading his team in scoring with 22 points and going 8-10 in field goal attempts as well as shooting 5-6 from the three point line. He also showed flashes of his playmaking, chipping in two assists that should have been more. A performance akin to what his game is all about, creating and scoring opportunities.

“In the city of Badalona, basketball comes first”

Kyle being a massive football fan himself is surrounded by the beautiful game on a daily basis. However, he was shocked at how much basketball is revered in the city of Badalona.

Badalona is probably the only city in Spain where basketball comes first. You saw the fans today, they packed the house. However, you go 5-10 minutes to Barcelona and the culture shifts to football.

I have been to about seven FC Barcelona games this year at Estadio Camp Nou and I absolutely love it. In the locker room, my teammates and I are always talking about football while in the NBA, it was mostly discussions about the NFL. It just shows that I am surrounded by football culture every day.

“The time difference and being away from home is definitely the hardest”

The struggles of Americans playing abroad is rarely discussed. The culture shock of learning a new language, being in a completely new environment, and the distance between yourself and loved ones can be a tough task. There are numerous stories of American players being unable to handle the transition and returning back home before the season ends.

However, Kyle has taken the challenge in stride.

The time difference and being away from my siblings has to be the hardest. I have my son here, which is amazing, but he does not get to be with his cousins or grandparents while over here. There is a six hour time difference between here and Indiana, my home. My parents came out here for a week which was great, but that feeling gets overtaken by sadness when they leave.

“I always wanted to play in the NBA as long as I could, but Spain gave me the opportunity to play”

Kyle is no stranger to Spanish culture. He visited the country for a trip abroad in 2016 with his title-winning University of Virginia team. That tour wasn’t the only thing that influenced him to play overseas.

I wanted to play in the NBA as long as I could. When I was not getting the chance to play as much as I wanted in the league, I had to make a decision that would create generational wealth for my family. Spain is the best domestic league in the world and my experience coming here before allowed me to acclimate more easily to the culture.

“Fashion gives players a creative outlet outside of basketball”

Shifting away from basketball, Kyle has seen how much the game has been influenced by fashion culture. The NBA has been a staple in the streetwear community, giving maximum visibility to their athletes’ fashion and identity with tunnel pictures and collaborations with massive social media platforms that highlight this such as League Fits.

I definitely felt the fashion influence when I was in the NBA. The tunnel fit pics were a massive part of gameday culture. I didn’t necessarily have a style, sometimes I’d wear bright colors and other games I’d have a white tee with Alexander McQueens on.

I’d say the flyest guys I had as teammates in the NBA were Buddy Hield and Tyrese Haliburton. They had some pretty dope styles. It's so important that these guys have the outlet to be creative in a space that is not just about basketball. It's so important to the game and something that I have been grateful to have been a part of during my time in the NBA.