Most NBA players hope to emulate LeBron James on the court, but his Los Angeles Lakers teammate Kyle Kuzma also hopes to emulate his new teammate off the court. He sees how much James gives back to his hometown of Akron, Ohio and Kuzma wants to do the same for his hometown of Flint, Michigan.

Kuzma spoke with Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN to discuss his hopes to help Flint and how James inspires him to use his platform for change. Youngmisuk writes:

“Kuzma, 23, may not be running for office, but he hopes to follow in the footsteps of his new All-Star running mate on the court. Kuzma wants to help Flint the way James — who uses his platform to take a stand and speak out on social and political issues — has repeatedly given back to Akron. James, who often uses his platform to speak out on social and political issues, recently helped build a school in his hometown.

“Kuzma dreams of one day having this kind of impact and leaving his imprint on his own Midwestern inner-city hometown in need of help and inspiration.”

Kuzma, 23, is already wise beyond his years. Unfortunately, Flint is still struggling with its problems. Crime and violence are high and the water crisis is still ongoing. Many residents still live without clean water on a day-to-day basis. Kuzma told Youngmisuk:

“A lot of crime, a lot of violence. You look at the city, it's beat down, houses are boarded up and we don't have [clean] water still. It's been that way ever since 2014, and that is going on four, five years. It is definitely disheartening that we continue to let a city in America do this.”

What is happening in Flint is awful. Hopefully, Kuzma's influence will help bring some much-needed change to the area.