'I felt it in my gut right then': Kyle Guy on retiring from basketball, returning to Virginia to join Tony Bennett's staff
'I felt it in my gut right then': Kyle Guy on retiring from basketball, returning to Virginia to join Tony Bennett's staff
Indy native Kyle Guy discusses his difficult decision to retire from playing professional basketball, returning to Virginia to coach and get his degree.
Kyle Guy has been wrestling with a big life decision for several years.
The 2016 Indiana Mr. Basketball from Lawrence Central High School won a national championship in college, was an NBA Draft pick and has been playing professional basketball since 2019.
Each of those are impressive on their own — and he did them all.
However, since being out of the NBA for the past few years, it’s taken a toll on him; he’s pondered what’s next. And oversees life is difficult. He has many other interests outside of basketball, and being at home, in the U.S., is important to him.
This week, the 26-year-old announced his retirement from basketball — and that he plans to return to the University of Virginia to take a newly-created position: Athlete Development Mentor/Special Assistant.
“We are thrilled to welcome Kyle and his family back to Charlottesville,” head coach Tony Bennett said in a release. “Kyle is not only one of the best players I’ve ever coached, but also one of the finest young men I’ve met. He will make an immediate impact on our program, working with our players and sharing the expertise and competitive fire he’s gained throughout his collegiate and professional career.”
The next day, Guy talked with Fieldhouse Files by phone about his decision, one that he had given deep thought to, and why he was content with moving on.
“Everyone will tell you, when you leave college, basketball changes. It's just business,” he said. “It definitely changes your perspective on the game.
“When I was in the NBA, I'm sure it was masked a little bit just by how awesome the NBA is and just being a part of that and achieving a childhood dream. I didn't even recognize it. And then overseas is tough. It's a tough grind. Ten months is a long time (away from home). I've got a lot of stuff going on outside of basketball that is also important to me. At the end of the day, I don't know if any of that stuff was the real reason.
“I just felt in my gut that I wanted to do something else. I felt that during my first year overseas (in 2022). I was like, ‘I’m in my prime, I'm so good right now, I can't walk away.’ Literally, this past spring is the best I have ever been. And so I just kept thinking, ‘There's no way that I can walk away.’”
Ultimately, he elected to walk away from it.
At home, he’s married and just welcomed his second child about three months ago.“I’ve always kind of known my purpose on earth was to be a dad,” Guy wrote on Instagram.
After this past season in Spain, he continued to struggle with the internal dialogue. He was truly trying to get to the bottom of what do you want to do and why.
“I want to do a lot of things in life so I just decided, you know what, I'm going to step away from the game,” Guy said.
And he did so knowing that if he wants to play again, it will still be there for a few more years. It just won’t be for the money then, but rather for the love of the game.
“I just don't have that same fire that I normally do playing,” Guy shared. “So I want to re-center myself and put that energy towards something else.”
And so he’s returning to Charlottesville, Virginia, home of the Wahoos.
Turning Point
Guy had considered what’s next for several years, but retirement became a significant consideration for the past six months or so. He made several calls, including one to Chris Long.
Long also attended UVa, then went on to have a very successful career in the NFL. He won two Super Bowls and now hosts a mainstream podcast, “The Green Light Podcast.”
Guy wanted to know how Long knew when it was time to walk away from the game he loved, the game that had given him so much.
“He really shed some light on some stuff,” said Guy. “Really, that was the turning point. I made that call in April. I was like, ‘Wow. Ok, Maybe I am done playing.’ That was the first turning point.”
Over the summer, Guy was still receiving playing offers from big clubs overseas so he thought “Oof. Maybe I just have to suck it up for one more year.”
Then he had another breakthrough.
Guy recently returned to Charlottesville for their basketball alumni weekend. (Rick Carlisle and Jenny Boucek both played at UVa, by the way.) He showed his kids around the grounds and practiced with the basketball team. “It was great,” he remembers.
“Then on the last day, Coach (Bennett) offered me the position. I felt it in my gut right then when he offered me. I didn't say yes right away, but I knew right away that I was going to say yes.”
Back To His Second Home
Guy is from Indy so of course he grew up an IU fan. However, he elected to go out of state and play for Bennett. Ironic because he often heard criticism about his defense, then he went to play for a defensive-minded head coach.
While there, he experienced the ultimate highs and lows of playing college basketball. In his second year, they were stunned in the 1-16 opening-round game by UMBC for just their third loss of the season.
A year later, he and the Wahoos moved past it. In a statement fashion.
Guy led UVa with 25 points and 10 rebounds in an Elite 8 overtime win over No. 3 Purdue. He played a key role on that 2019 NCAA Championship team, including being named Final Four Most Outstanding Player.
Several months later, Guy was selected 55th overall in the 2019 draft by New York Knicks officially, but he began his career with the Sacramento Kings on a two-way contract.
Guy spent a couple seasons in Sacramento, including one with Tyrese Haliburton. He was the reason Haliburton was willing to play in one night of the Dizzy Runs last summer.
Guy, who has hosted Pro Am games for the past few years, says they will continue — with or without him.
After a few years in Sacramento, Guy then spent time with the Miami Heat. He appeared in his last NBA game on March 28, 2022 against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Since then, he’s played several seasons overseas. Most recently, he played in Spain and enjoyed that experience. But it’s not the NBA and it’s not in the USA.
One More Thing
Guy had an enlightening weekend back in Virginia and with Bennett. And having someone like Guy, with his experience (at UVa, in the NBA and overseas) and ability to still play, makes him a valuable asset.
“I just decided to give myself permission to do what I want,” Guy made clear. “(Coach) definitely opened that door for me. And I just decided to walk through it.”
And about the new title: “I told them, ‘Hey, just name the position, Whatever Tony Bennett Tells Me To Do.’ We came up with this, which is a little more professional. Whatever they need is what I will do.”
In returning to Virginia, he’s also resuming school. He’s about 30 credits short of having a degree and he grateful to return to a path toward graduating.
Beyond that, and helping the team on the court, he looks forward to helping in anything that comes up. Like mentoring players, cutting film and helping instill Bennett’s coaching in the newcomers. That’s especially important with rosters turning over more frequently due to NIL (name, image and likeness).
And for games, he’ll be on the bench able to assist.
“I just felt it a little bit empowering that I was playing so well and still had the guts to walk away,” Guy added.
Now at peace with his decision, he enters this new chapter with his family and UVa family behind him.