In Kobe Bryant’s final year with the Los Angeles Lakers, the team was pretty bad. The Lakers only won 17 games, with Bryant’s farewell tour serving as the primary attraction for the entire season.

But for one day in late January, the team received some positive press unrelated to the late Bryant’s 20th year as a Laker. They signed a new player, albeit just for a day. Yitzi Teichman, an 18-year-old Jewish Baltimore resident who measured far shorter than most NBA players and had never played high-level basketball, became a member of one of the most storied franchises in sports history.

How did he do that? He explained.

“During [my] press conference, I said, ‘you either have to be good at basketball or get cancer, so I went the cancer route,’” Teichman said.

The Lakers experience was conducted by Make-A-Wish, as Teichman was suffering from brain cancer. He has since beaten the disease. Teichman lived in Baltimore, but is originally from Los Angeles and is a die-hard Lakers fan. Getting to shoot around, hang out with and get autographs from some of the world’s best athletes was a dream come true, he said.

“It was just a really cool moment. And just as somebody who loves sports, and now actually works with professional athletes, it was a really cool, just a really special moment, tying everything together,” Teichman said.

Today, the Pikesville resident spends his working hours at RBC Wealth Management, where he is an associate vice president and financial advisor. Some of his clients are professional athletes, which he described as an interesting dynamic. They’re young, wealthy and often looking for guidance on how to handle it.

“[Pro athletes] require a lot more of a unique plan than your typical person on a W-2, so [it’s about] working with them and just teaching them how to manage their wealth and being able to coach them and come up with plans,” Teichman said. “Their income fluctuates but just being able to come up with a plan and something to stick with, it’s been really cool for me, with my love for sports, and then being able to work with the guys and kind of seeing the behind the scenes of what goes on.”

Teichman is also very involved in the Jewish community, something he largely credits to his experience with cancer when he was younger.

“I made it through that, and I’m here and able to see the importance of being involved in the community and the philanthropic side of it, and trying to give back as much as possible,” he said.

Teichman works with Friends of the Israel Defense Forces, serving on the local board. He also started the young professional board, which speaks to something he is passionate about within Jewish communal service — creating more opportunities for young Jewish professionals to gather, help each other and others. While he said LA has a number of programs like that, Teichman would like to see more here.

“I’d love to just see people really take a united front and be able to feel like they can get involved. Some people can give differently. Some people can give money, some people can give time, some people can give energy. I never want people to feel like, ‘Oh, well, I don’t have money, so I can’t get involved,’ or something like that. There’s so much that can be done,” Teichman said. “I want people to feel comfortable and know that there’s a place for them to get involved. My goal is to build out a structure where something’s there for people, whether they’re new in town or so on, and get involved. Hopefully it’ll be a good foundation.”

Outside of working in wealth management and the Jewish community, Teichman spends time with his wife and dogs, goes to the park and enjoys a food that his old home of Los Angeles is somewhat notorious for not being able to perfect.

“I love pizza,” he said. “I’m probably going to get made fun of by my friends who read this, but [I enjoy] trying pizza places.”

Teichman is happy in Baltimore, though he added that he’s had some trouble finding the will to switch from supporting the Dodgers to the Orioles. But, it’s home.
“I love it,” he said. “I think it’s very inviting.”

aguckes@midatlanticmedia.com