Basketball player for the South Carolina men’s team B.J. Mack shocked his father with a huge gesture. Mack fulfilled a lifetime desire for his father, Brian Mack, by using his name, image, and likeness (NIL) funds to open a barbershop for his father.
His father told WYFF4, “So he came to me and said, ‘Dad, I want to start my first business, and I was like, what was it, and he was like, I want to help you do your barber shop opening.”
So, they established the House of Hoops Barbershop in West Charlotte. Mack told the outlet, “It was really my dad, he started talking about it, he was like, I’m really thinking about opening up a shop, and then I was like, once I get some more money from the garnet trust I’ll help you out with the idea.
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“I knew it was his dream, and it was something that I really wanted to help him out with because I know he’s passionate about it, and I was like, hey, might as well just pay it back for him because he’s been there for me.”
Brian revealed that he initially tried to talk his son out of it but he insisted. “I’m like, at first, no son, I want you to do what you want to do, and he was like, no, you sacrificed so much to help me travel all over the world to be a part of this that, I can do this but, on the setup, the business side, learning how to structure a business and things like that, he can get experience doing it while also helping his father.”
Their shop pays respect to the rich basketball legacy of their hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina, with most of the photos on the walls featuring Charlotte players such as Stephen Curry and Johnny Edwards. The aim is to drive the conversation and impact inside the shop.
The elder Mack told WCNC, “They’re tangible; they’re reachable, and, you know one thing, every young male comes to the barbershop at one point in time, so we can reach them here. We can keep them from out there.”
Indeed, 24-year-old Mack is making good use of his master’s degree in sports business management.
Mack remarked, “Being able to come back to Charlotte and be able to help my dad, mom, sister, and the people of Charlotte, that’s just going to build generational wealth throughout.”
