Kiesha Nix | Ep 174 | ALL THE SMOKE Full Episode | SHOWTIME Basketball

and I did that for about twenty one years. But the last few years I managed the Bank of America sponsorship with the Los Angeles Dodgers, So that got me into sports and sports philanthropy and I did that job pretty good. And when Jeannie Buss was looking for someone to oversee the Lakers Foundation, she called the Dodgers. The Dodgers referred me. I got a call on a Monday, and by Friday, I had a whole new career. I mean, someone who grew up in South central LA. What did

that mean? I mean, Dodgers was probably a cool opportunity, but there's nothing like the Lakers. What did it mean to you a girl coming from LA to be a black woman coming into this position. But just the prestige of the Lakers, I mean I grew up a huge Lakers family. My family is all LA all day long. So I'm from South central LA born and raised. We watched the Dodgers, we watched the Lakers. You know, you could do what you wanted on football, but those were

two teams. There was just no other things. And so to grow up watching you know, Magic and Kareem and Worthy and you know, all these Laker legends, and to now work with them, to be a colleague, to call them, you know, or they call me, you know, whenever they need something. It's like a dream come true. And sometimes

I have to really pinch myself. And then to be able to go back into the community that I grew up in and to make opportunities happen for kids that look like me, that is literally something I can't believe it's work. I can't believe I'm being paid. You probably like a player, you probably get phone called Can I get some tickets? Can I get some tickets? Can I get some to It's what's that demand been like and what's kind of what was the response from your family,

Like you said, obviously you know huge Laker fans. How how did that go across with the family? Oh, my god. My family is so excited. My son is probably getting the most of this because he's an only child and so he gets to go to, you know, everything, But my family is just they're really proud of me. Um. They are the ones that don't ask for tickets and they could. It's the people that shouldn't do the right Yes. Yes, oh got the week of Lebron making history. You can't imagine.

On my phone was blowing up. But you know, I do what I can, and I usually tell people just let me bless you, don't ask me, let me bless you, you know. And we have we have an allocation of tickets for the community that we give out like every single game, and so I you know, I meet people every day that you know, have youth and I'm like, hey, do they want to come to a Laker game? And they say yes, and I'm able to do that for them. That's awesome. We got a chance to see each other

the other night. I got to moderate the Showtime Laker panel, which, like you said, we grew up watching these guys. And to be able to sit down and talk to them for an hour and a half, I mean, what is it like mixing elbows and like you said, being colleagues with guys like Magic and Kareem and Worthy and dealing with guys like that, and then also Lebron and everything that kind of comes with that Laker title, you know it Like I said, it's it's amazing, and it gives

me the opportunity to change other people's lives. It's not something that I take lightly because you know, we have this iconic brand, this global brand, and we can use that to really create opportunities for black and brown youth that otherwise wouldn't have it. And then when you think about our legends and our current players, how many of them grew up single parent households, at boys and girls clubs,

at Park and Rex. If they didn't have somebody look out for them or some type of community advocate, they wouldn't even be where they are today. So I feel like the jobs that we have in philanthropy and in community are so vital and so important, you know, because if it weren't for some of the programs that we have, we wouldn't have the Magics and the Shacks, you know, and the Lebrons. They all have stories and a lot of them are really similar. So I really understand the responsibility.

I may only have one biological child, but I feel like the youth in my community all belong to me. That because it takes a village obviously get an opportunity to work with the Dodgers now the Lakers. Was that always your goal to try to to find a way to get into sports her that just kind of pop up. It kind of popped up. I always loved sports. My goal was really to be able to just do work in the community. So while I was working in finance and it was paying the bills, I was doing community

relations for free. I'm still waiting on that rebate check to income. I was at Merrill Lynch for eighteen years, working in high net worth finance. But I found a way to bring those wealthy individuals to Compton, to South Central, to watts So because of my day job, I was able to create other opportunities. And after about eighteen years, and Bank of America bought Merrill, they asked me to join community relations and I said, oh, wait a minute, I don't want to do this for real. I want

to do this, you know, for play. Going into community relations was not lucrative. It was a pay cut a big pay cut and my son was going off to college, and as a single mom, like who makes that kind of decision? But I knew that I would not end up where I really wanted to if I didn't take that leap of faith. And I didn't know that it was gonna be with the Lakers. I didn't know that

it was gonna be with the Dodgers. I just knew that serving my community was what I was born to do, being a fan first and foremost and now working with them. Was there anyone that you were kind of in awe, whether it be Genie, Magic, Braun, I may be forgetting people when you kind of first got the job, when getting your feel under you. I would say, well, definitely,

in all of all of the above. But when when asked, you know, Magic is just the ultimate, you know, Laker for me and being able to work with him, my son was in his mentoring scholarship program, so I got to see, you know, the other side of him, and now to be able to work with him is just amazing.

He is all that that you seem, always so upbeat, always so uplifting, and he was one of the very first people to call and congratulate me when I became vice president, the first black female UNI in the history the Lakers. That's big. That's really big. It's really big. Yeah. Um, Genie offended the program. I've known Genie for a long time. Talk to us about her. Yeah, Jack has a crush on her, but that my friends crush, professional crush. No,

there's girls who have girls girls crush on Jennie. UM. Genie's amazing, UM, being able to work you know, directly with her um daily. Um. She's definitely somebody that I look up to. UM. She said, you know, it's okay to be the first, but it's not okay to be the only. And you know those words, you know, inspire me. You know, she's so smart. But what I love most about her, she's so humble. She is just so humble, Like, you know, she's just walking around the office. You know,

she's regular. She parks in the same places that we park our cars and and she doesn't ask for a lot of special privileges. UM. And she works hard, Like sometimes I feel guilty if I'm leaving the office and she's her car is still there. You know, she's an owner that that believes in work and showing up and so she's somebody that I definitely admire and I'm just you know, I feel blessed to be able to work and learn so much from her. Kobe was someone who was big with giving back to the youth in the

community and obviously the Mamba Academy. Any stories about Kobe, you get a chance to meet Kobe. Yes, So Kobe's last year was my first year, okay, and so we didn't do a lot of work together. That year. He did things for the foundation, and it wasn't until like Jersey retirement time that I started working with him and the president of his organization, his corporation, and I helped them raise a lot of money for the Mamba Foundation, and they came back to me and said, you know what,

we like you, we want to work with you. And so we started to do a lot of projects together. And I was able to sit on a panel with Kobe during Women's History Month in twenty eighteen, and that was amazing just to see how excited he was about women in sports, just like how when he played, you know, and I just felt like, how he's going to really change the game, you know, for women in sports. And so it was a blessing to be able to work so closely with him. I really felt like, I mean,

he was the main push. I feel like, as a former athlete that really started like okay, we because we all supported the w NBA, but it just wasn't you know, we watched it. You know, how do you come out and really show support and get the gear and really

let people know that we are fans of this. And I really credit him for really kind of making that push, not only in the w NBA, but even in college women's college athletics to kind of be like, okay, like hey, we do support, let's really show them how we support. And you know, I always, you know, took my hat off to him for that. Thoughts on Lebron's longevity not only in basketball, but the effect he has in the community off the court. I mean, it's phenomenal to know

that he has created a whole school. I mean, just the sounds of that, you know. I mean, yes, he wrote the school record, and yes he's been in the league for twenty years, but he designed a school and he's he's changing lives of you know, the young people in Akron, and he's giving them opportunities to go to college, and he's not only helping them, he's helping their parents.

You know, it's a family affair, you know, with him, and so it may sound crazy, but I'm more proud of what he does off the court, even though he's phenomenal on the court, because what he's doing off the court will go so much further and will last so long.

And when I think about sometimes I look at interviews he did coming right out of high school, and then I think about how this man never went to college, and when you hear him speak, he is so educated and so on point, and I'm thinking, wow, I mean that is just you know, the power of hard work. Hard work is the great equalizer, I always say. And so when I look at that, you can't tell me that our young people can't do things like this. I mean, he was he said, I'm not going to be a

product of my environment. I know where I was born and raised, but I'm going to do more than that. And he defied all the odds. And so he's just another one that I feel like our young people can really look up to. I love that is what's the day in the life for you? Like, well, what kind of stuff in the community are you doing or around the organization. What kind of stuff do you do? Oh? My god, everything. So I left, I left speaking out of high school this morning to come over here to

see you guys. Thank you very much, Yes, thank you. And I go to all of our home games. I have a fundraising element at every game. I have two hundred community people, youth and organizations that I host at every single game. I'm building basketball courts all around Los Angeles. I think we're a little over forty at this point. You know. I have health and fitness and basketball clinics. We work with over twenty boys and girls clubs. That's

over a hundred thousand young people. Last night at the game, we flew in the Jubilee singers from Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. They sang the national anthem. Last year was the first time we ever had the black national anthems sunk at a Lakers game, and that was thanks to our work with Fifth University. UM. So, I mean, I'm everywhere as much as I can be. It's not just in Los Angeles, but mostly in Los Angeles and really in our underresource communities.

That's where you know the need is important and it's important for me to show up and not just send the check or send the basketballs or send the resources. I want them to see me. I want them to understand that the person that makes these decisions looks like them, right, looks like their mom, looks like their grandmother or their sister. I want them to understand that. And so every opportunity that I get to go out and you know, flash the ring, because not everybody, you know, especially not a

lot of women you know, have that. And so I'm so proud of this, and so I do it so that the young people that I serve understand what's possible. Absolutely got to see it to believe it. That part what goes into planning a showcase like a HBC. You have time and stuff like that, like how difficult and tedious you have to be to make sure everything goes right with that, you know, you have to take a lot and you have to understand what the greater good who this is going to really serve. And so not

everyone always sees your vision. You know, I'm one who you know is positive. And so I think about five years ago, some of this stuff that I'm getting done would not have been able. But because of social justice. Because of things that happened during the pandemic, there are so many more opportunities, and so you kind of have to have patience, and you have to understand that not everything that you want to do is going to happen overnight,

and not everybody sees your vision. But if you can just have the patience and the wherewithal to see it through, then you can make something like an HBCU. You know, we had the very first HBCU come to a Lakers game three years ago. We started with FAMU, then we had Southern, Then last year we had Tennessee State, Now

we got FISK. Those things didn't happen before, and so I could have gotten angry or frustrated, but I just kept saying, in due time, in due time, how hard is it, real quick not to cut you off, Jack, to kind of weed out because obviously everyone wants to be able to test their name to the Laker brand. How hard is it to weed out what you choose

to do and what you may pass on. Ninety five percent of my job is saying no to believe it or not ninety percent because we get that many requests, there's that many amazing organizations that I have to say no that much, and that's really one of the most challenging parts of my job. And Jeanie Bust and Linda Rambas told me that when I got there, that is going to be like, we want you because we feel

like you can do that. And so it becomes challenging and sometimes I create more work for myself my team because I don't say no. I say, well, we can't do that, but okay, how about if we do this and we'll start here, And so it creates more work, but it also creates more opportunity. And so it's just something that you know, I want unlimited resources, but we don't have unlimited resources, believe it or not. I have to fundraise all these projects that I'm talking about. There's

not just some magical person writing a check. I have to go out in fundraise and the Lakers allow me to use one hundred percent of what I raise to put back into the community. So they're extremely generous. They take care of all of our overhead and administrative costs, so we don't have to worry about that. But it behooves me and it's in my best interests to go out there and make money for the foundation. You've opened up many boys and girls clubs talk. Can we talk

about that? Sure? Because that I think that's awesome to say that you not just open one, but you go open many. Yes. So one of my favorites. And I'll probably get in trouble for this, but I have to say it. It's historical Challengers Boys and Girls Club in South central LA. Challengers has been around for a long time and we have a Lakers basketball court there and as of last summer, I got purple bleachers in there. Something excited about that. Those bleachers were a nightmare. I

didn't want the kids to get hurt. We have an outdoor court. They actually have a dental lab in the Boys and Girls club and they take care of the youth during the week and on the weekends they open it up to the community. They have like a sound studio we're working on. I mean, you think about it's life changing. It's not just the days when you know they were just watching the kids because the parents didn't

have something to do. We built a STEM lab there with our last championship through the NBA, we were able to build a STEM lab. So what we're teaching these young people at the Boys and Girls Club. It's not just sports, it's stem, it's steam, its arts and culture, it's all the things that they need to get them to college, to get them to their first career. So when you think about it, it's not just okay, we're gonna, you know, drop our kids off, they're gonna you know,

play basketball outside for a couple of hours. No, they're actually learning and stuff. And especially during the pandemic, it was challenging to keep those clubs open, but it was necessary, it was really necessary, and it was the only place that they could sometimes log onto a computer, the only place. Well, I think so often, you know, especially in the communities that are underserved, we want them to you know, get out of that street life or don't do this, don't

do that. But then what are we arming them or tooling them with when we tell them not to do that? So, I mean, things like this are instrumental for the youth. Exactly, how do you work with current and pass players when you're when you need the guys to support the cause, And is it Any's a two question, And is anybody that's always available when you call him. It's gonna sound funny, but they're almost always available. I mean they love they love doing it, you know. And I love working with

our legends as well as our current players. You know, during the season, we're very mindful of the schedule, so maybe we don't call on our current players as much or we you know, we get them in and out. Our legends, Oh my god, it's like a reunion every time you see him. You saw him the other night. We had dressing rooms set up for all of them. Why do they all end up in the same wrestling you know, um, And it's like that, literally, I feel

like I'm working with family. When I first got the promotion, I remember coming to a game and James Worthy was sitting in like row A and I walked by and he was like all hell to the v Like he was so happy for me and so excited. He was introducing me to people, and I was just like, wow, you know, they eat me like a little sister, and I really really appreciate that. And they know there isn't

anything that we wouldn't do for them. And so when I call, it's not like it goes a voicemail, you know, they answer, or if they text me, I'm like, Okay, what do you need, you know what, what can we help you to accomplish because they all have, you know, their own passions, their own foundations, or charitable efforts that they're working on, and we do a lot to support those efforts. Love it. In twenty twenty one, you were voted Sports Illustrated most one of the most one hundred

influential Black women in sports. Knowing your journey, knowing where you came from, what did that mean to you? That meant so much to me, Matt, because I had just gotten the promotion a couple of weeks before that, and I was like, nobody knows like I was, you know, like a little I don't know, taken back. And my son was like, Mom, just calm down. You know, it'll happen. And I was like, I know, but it was still

the pandemic, you know, things were different. And one of my girlfriends jokingly said, I'm gonna call Sports Illustrate it and my son was like, do not do that. Like he could just see the wheels turning in our minds, you know, and so and we didn't. But then for that to happen, um, I was like, oh my god. He said, I told you you didn't have to do it like it happened, and then for Magic to call and for Magic to tweet about it. I was like,

who needs media when you got magic? Powerful? Powerful? Um, Obviously you've been able to have a very successful uh business career and and and giving back to the youth. But oh why you were a single mom raising young a young black man and you've spoke to on your son two or three times and every time you speak on him you light up. So speak to your guys's relationship, your bond, and how tough was getting on you, you know, kind of getting your grind to where you are now

as a single mom. It was definitely not easy, but my job was making it look easy. And so, like I said, we grew up in south central UM. He went to Dorsey High School. UM, not you know, a prestigious you know, private school or anything. And while I was working in finance, believe it or not, there were times when I had to take him to work because I didn't have anybody to watch him. And he grew

up there. Literally I found out I was pregnant a couple months after getting that job, and I was so afraid back in nineteen ninety four that I was going to lose my job, so I had to hide it, you know, until like I couldn't hide it anymore. And so he literally was almost born at Merrill Lynch. Fast forward. I started there at twenty four. Twenty four years later, he started at Merrill Lynch as a financial advisor in the same office as me. And I'm just like, wow,

that's how God brings it back full circle. You know. He started out much higher than where I started, but just those days when I had him in the office, you know, it really influenced and impacted his life. And now to be able to share the success I have, you know, with the Lakers and the things that I'm doing, and the reason why he wanted to come today. But he's teaching financial literacy at two schools and he said, mom, oh, I want to be there, but I really I really

liked the kids. And I said, well, you go do what you gotta do, and I'll do what I have to make sure when we film again or look, give them the heads of income hang out for the day. But that's really, I mean, that's dope because you know, obviously, you know Jack and I being in our space and we would bring our kids around and they inspire to be what we do. So on the flip side, same thing, you were bringing him to work and he, you know,

he aspired to be what his mom was doing. So I think that's and it's twenty four and twenty four and you know how instrumental that is to the to the lake or so it was meant to be. It was written, it was written, it was written, and he graduated from that program in Beverly Hills as only the second black male in the last ten years to graduate

from that program. Super dope. What else seems to be done to have more women, particularly women of color, in the forefront of male dominated spaces, and not just in the space, but in leadership roles. Do you feel we need more advocates? We need more people like you that are willing to highlight you know, what it is we're

doing and why we're important. We need sponsors, meaning when I'm not in a room, I need somebody to be out there advocating for me or for the next woman, and you know, speaking good on our name so that you know someone else wants to hire us or promote us. It's really important to have male advocates, very important. I mean some male dominated you know, field, no matter how much we accomplish, we have to acknowledge that. And so

without a male advocate, it's a little challenging. And then as women, we have to also be secure in ourselves and not worry about not helping somebody. You can't be the only one all the time. And you can't think that, oh God, if I help her, it's gonna take away from me. What's for you is for you, you know, And believe it or not, I've been hurt by more, you know, women that looked like me than helped up. Unto a certain point, I was helped by more Caucasian

men than I was anybody else. And that's starting to change and I'm happy about that. And so I have to make sure I don't do that, I don't fall into that track. I want to help the next Keisha Knicks, because so many more people can be me than can be lebron or there can be Matt Barnes, or it can be Steph you know, so many more people. So I need to make sure that I'm doing what I'm doing. But I'm grooming the next generation. What would you tell I mean, obviously you got a lot more to do

and accomplished. But what would you tell your younger self. Oh, I would tell my younger self, you know what, just don't listen to society, don't listen to the odds, don't become a product of your own vibe. Don't buy into the stereotype. You know, Yeah, I'm a single mom. Yes, my mom was seventeen when she had me. But that's okay. You know, it's not about where you start, and it's about where you finished, and it's about the journey along the way. And so I think too oftentimes we get discouraged.

You know, I'm proud I'm fifty three years old, proud of my age, and I feel like there's so much more that I can do. There was a time when people would be like, oh no, it's retirement time. I'm like retireing. I got a two or three more careers left in me. You know, there's so many more things that I want to do. So I would tell my younger self that, you know, the sky is the limit and it's really about you know, what you make of it. You definitely don't get fifty three from me. My son's

twenty years saying. I'm just saying she don't look fifty three. This guy obviously a dream job you're sitting in right now. But what is what is your ultimate goal? You know, I said that I wanted to run my own foundation, and I'm not saying that I don't want to do that at some point, but I feel like what I'm doing right now is so beneficial. I want to be able to take what I'm doing to the next level, meaning I want what I'm doing to somehow be able

to impact minorities in leadership in sports. I want to see doors opened for coaches, front office, general managers. I don't want it to just stop right here. I don't want us to keep having the same conversations on all the sports shows about no black coaches in you know whatever, the NFL or the NHL or whatever. You know. I want to make sure that we're doing what we need to do. We have to make sure that everybody is equipped and ready be prepared. I had that conversation in

the car on the way here. Sometimes the opportunity is there, but are you ready for the opportunity. So I want to make sure that our young people that are coming up are qualified and ready, and then make sure that those doors get open for them. I love it all right, quick hitters. Hopefully this hasn't been too painful for you. But quick Cutter's first thing to come to mind. Let us know. Five dinner dead or alive? Oh god, Um okay, Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Um, Michelle Obama got to bring

the Obama. There's three, Um, Martin, Luther King and Diana Rossini. That's a good one. I'm gonna put you on the spot right here. Okay. Five most important Lakers. Oh, this question has gotten a lot of people in trouble. Let me flip it. You're five favorite players all time, all time. Okay, you're starting five of the Lakers. Still gonna get me a little trouble, okay, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Lebron James. This is when it gets dicey. The rest of time,

we'll take it. Take it. Stuck on the island, Which three shows are movies? You're watching all reality shows, the Real Housewives of Everything, every one of their dr and feeling the whole DVR. But my son is like, you are so ratchet, mama, and I believe watching this um and all Law and Order. I watch Law and Order every day, all day yeah. Um. Five most influential women in sports. Um, she's she's not in sports right now, but Robin Roberts hands down, Um, somebody that you know

I really look up to and admire. Um, gosh, I gotta take it back. I gotta say Billy jan King another one that I meyer. Um, Genie Buss my boss, of course, you know, hands down there. Um, let me see Lisa Leslie just for what she has done for the w NBA, And then I would round it out with don't be afraid to tell yourself in there now got Nope, I'm gonna go with Serena. Yeah night Arena that we need to get Serena on the show. Go

ahead messages on the board for inspiring the youth. What would it be if you had a billboard to inspire the youth? What would that message be? Um? What I said earlier, hard work is the great equalizer. All work is the great equalizer. If you could have if you can see one guest on our show, who would it be? But you have to help us get your answer on the show. Ooh um, you guys have had so many great people on the show. Who would I want to see on here? You know? So many great people. I

do know a lot of good people. Oh god, that's a tough one, because you guys can get anybody you may think. I mean, I would love to see Oprah, but I don't have that power, not yet. You gotta be somebody you can help us with. Like, Okay, we'll get her. You could come. But I like how she said she's I don't have that power yet. Yeah, yeah, coming, yeah, coming, Yeah, I think she had. Let's get Robin Roberts. That'd be dope. Really, she's a legend. Definitely honored to have her. So well, Keisha,

We appreciate your time. We know you have a very busy day, but thank you for making time for us, and we will continue to advocate for not only you, but people that look like you and people that look like us to continue to open those doors. We appreciate what you're doing. Thank you here. This was not painful at all. So we talked to other She was a

little nurse. She's just like, you know, just just like a prom We baby, We got her, got you made it through unscathed, and then again next time we come. Hopefully your son can come hang out and you know, if you need me in the community I'm around, so definitely, thank you very much, appreciate, thank you, keep leading the way. Thank you so much. All the smoke, Keisha Nicks of the Los Angeles Lakers. You can catch this on Showtime Basketball,

YouTube and the iHeart platform Black Effects. We'll see y'all next week.