Former Howard University guard Kyle Foster was invited to be a member of the Detroit Pistons NBA Summer League team this summer, making his official debut as a Piston against the Indiana Pacers on July 12. Foster managed to score six points and grab two rebounds while shooting 66.6 percent from three-point range. In his three summer league games, the Bison graduate averaged four points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists.
Foster’s transcendent final season as a Bison capped off what was a very productive five-year career that caught the eye of front officials across the NBA. Foster’s final season saw him average 15.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists, his 15.8 points per game the third highest among all Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) players. Foster’s Bison career was defined by his electricity from beyond the arc, as evidenced, a league-high 45.9 three-point shooting percentage his senior year. In the inaugural NBA-HBCU Classic Game against the Morgan State Bears, Foster passed the 1,000-point mark of his collegiate career, and it was his sharpshooting and poise that helped lead the Howard men’s basketball team to its first winning season (16-13) since 2002.
Foster made a historical impact on the court, but his achievements go beyond just basketball.
Foster is one of only five players in the NBA Summer League to come from a historically black college. Many athletes from historically Black colleges and universities have failed to ascend to higher athletic levels due to a lack of visibility and media exposure, resulting in an absence of HBCU talent in professional sports. Los Angeles Clippers forward Robert Covington is the only current player in the NBA that attended a historically black college. Foster discussed using his platform to shine more light on HBCUs in his introductory interview with the G League.
“It means a lot to represent an HBCU at this level,” Foster said. “Exposure is not the same as if you were at a bigger school. I think me being at this level, going the way I’m trying to go, will bring a lot of exposure.”
The NBA has made strides to provide funding and resources for HBCUs, expressing the need for players from these institutions. The strides Foster made to end up in the NBA Summer League can hopefully pave the way for more athletes from HBCUs in all professional sports.
Copy edited by Alana Matthew
