PUEBLO, Colo. – Growing up in Chicago, Tim Brennan was an avid basketball player.
He played all over the city with the Sonny Parker Youth Foundation, headed by Parker, who played for the NBA’s Golden State Warriors from 1976-82. Parker, Brennan says, was always really big on giving back to the community, so almost everything through his foundation was free.
Brennan also worked with Tim Grover, the personal trainer of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, and more of the world’s most elite athletes.
Brennan would go on to play college basketball at Western Michigan University and became a basketball trainer following graduation. But he never forgot the experiences he had growing up.
“It was a nice blend of super-elite and then super community-based,” Brennan said. “And as I’ve kind of been going through the space myself, it’s like, ‘Okay, what do I wish I would’ve had growing up, and what have I seen that kids need and don’t understand how to get or can’t afford to get?’ and things along those lines.”
Through that thought process, Operation Basketball was born.
“Our goal is to change the way that sports help young athletes,” Brennan said. “We do this by holding community-based events that allow them access to mentors and other people within the community, so that way they can have experiences and grow organically. That’s really what it’s about: getting kids to understand that you can be a pro in something other than sports, and finding them access to people that have done that, so that way they can have role models to look up to.”
Beginning in 2021, the PBR is partnering with local businesses in the cities it visits. Operation Basketball is the league’s sixth community spotlight as the Unleash The Beast comes to Allstate Arena in Chicago for the PBR Tractor Supply Co. Invitational on Jan. 14-15.
The organization is only just getting started, holding its first event before Thanksgiving, but has already seen a tremendous impact.
Its first event, Hoops for the Hungry, was a free, three-day camp – one day each on the north, west and south side of Chicago – that had guest speakers come to talk to the kids. The price of admission was a canned food or clothing donation, which Operation Basketball then redistributed into the community, and the kids were able to meet ESPN analyst Brooke Weisbrod, Loyola basketball player Lucas Williamson, Cam Smith of Spectrum Sports, and Joakim Noah of the Chicago Bulls.
“We had over 300 kids come for the three days, and then just being able to see the kids react to Joakim Noah and stuff like that (was the most rewarding part),” Brennan said. “Just his energy overall was fantastic. So that was by far the favorite thing that’s happened (so far).”
Operation Basketball also held an event more geared for kids aiming to get college scholarships and use sports as a tool to further themselves. Fifteen of the top boys’ and girls’ basketball players in the state got a free workout with mindful performance coach Jeremy Walton, who specializes in breathing and focus.
“It’s important on the court, but it’s also important in life, where, if you’re in a situation, you can take that breath, pause, think about whatever may be going through your mind, and be able to respond appropriately,” Brennan said.
Brennan says that the goals for Operation Basketball are varied. He’d like to expand the business into other sports, bring in experts from the fashion industry, and develop a financial literacy program.
Operation Basketball is the culmination of years of wanting to give back to his community but being unsure how to do so. Ultimately, the downtime during the pandemic gave him the pause he needed to do the necessary self-reflection and get all his ducks in a row.
“It’s kind of been an evolving plan,” Brennan said. “I always wanted to give back. I just didn’t necessarily know how I wanted to do it. So I thought that the training was a good aspect, and then I was like, ‘You know what, it’s missing something.’ And just knowing that I can make the difference that I wanted to make, and having the belief that even if it wasn’t exactly how I wanted it to be right away, that over time, it would be. So it’s kind of been there, and then it’s just been almost ripping off the training wheels.”
There’ve been some challenges getting a business off the ground during a pandemic. While luckily his business needed people and time, “and everyone had lots of time to give,” he said with a laugh, worries about masks and getting sick have hindered the kinds of events he’s been able to put on.
But even during these difficult times, Operation Basketball has been a huge success so far, and Brennan looks forward to providing kids in Chicago with the resources they need to thrive.
“It feels right,” Brennan said of giving back to his community. “I would lay my head down at night thinking I wasn’t doing something otherwise, thinking I was missing out on something otherwise.”