THE KYLE STORY
A night out in London in the late 1970s changed David Liam Kyle's life.
Kyle, then a professional basketball player in The Netherlands, was in England for the European Cup when he agreed to join teammate Jim Woudstra. Jim photographed the bustling city after dark. Kyle, a former Cleveland State University All-American, was hooked in minutes. David started going to different towns in Holland, photographing people, places, and moments in time.
Sports Illustrated Credentials
And his images stood out. Today, Kyle is a nationally recognized, award-winning photographer who has captured awe-inspiring images of landscapes, people, nature, news events, professional sports, and more in a career spanning four decades. Kyle has seventeen years of experience in photojournalism, having won numerous awards as a staff photographer with the Sun Newspapers. In addition, he has photographed more than 800 assignments for Sports Illustrated, covering MLB, NBA, NFL, PGA, and NCAA action, along with feature stories and portraits.
David has photographed over 1800 NBA games as the official Cleveland Cavaliers and NBAE photographer.
Kyle's work is regularly displayed on ESPN, TNT, SI.com, NBA-TV, and shows such as "Pardon the Interruption," "Sports Nation," and "Sportscenter." In addition, his images have appeared in the "Year-in-Pictures" editions of Sports Illustrated, SLAM Magazine, several Sports Illustrated, and SPORT magazine covers, and the player-coveted NBA 2K15 EA sports video game cover (featuring Kevin Durant). Sports Illustrated also selected his famous Penn State-Ohio State football action picture as one of "College Football's Top 150 Greatest Photos of All Time."
The 6-9 Kyle, a Cleveland's James F. Rhodes High School graduate, had realistic dreams of an NBA playing career when the Boston Celtics drafted him in 1977, one year after he finished 14th in the nation in scoring and ninth in rebounding as a collegian.
Playing days.Kyle set ten school records and was Cleveland State's first basketball All-American in 1976.
Kyle was projected as a first-round pick in the NBA Draft, but Achilles tendon issues during his senior year and a ruptured Achilles tendon before the NBA draft changed the course of his life. The Boston Celtics still drafted Kyle, but another Achilles tendon rupture cost him a roster spot and prompted him to play in Europe, where his second career blossomed.
Kyle acknowledges that his background in basketball gives him an advantage in photography. "I can see the play developing and anticipate what will happen next," he explains. His ability to capture life's rich moments—whether painful, amusing, or heartwarming—has defined his unique style.
"I strive to capture the decisive moment or emotion that conveys a story in a single photograph," Kyle says.
Kyle has been inducted into the James F. Rhodes High School, Cleveland State University, and Sports Legends of Cleveland Hall of Fame.
View David Liam Kyle's Fine Art video.
