Draft City Ballers - Futuro Magazine Interview

Hey Roe, thanks for taking the time to chat to Futuro magazine about yourself and Draft City Ballers! Before we start chatting more about Draft City Ballers though, we’d love to learn more about you, and what led you to create such a unique and inclusive Basketball Competition!

1. So you are an American currently living between Australia and the US. Can you tell me more about where you were born and your family?

I grew up in Jackson Heights in Tampa Florida. The neighbourhood was a melting pot of different cultures, mostly Hispanic and Black. But everyone respected each other and minded their own. My Mom was only 16 and my Father was 21 when I was born, and neither of them were ready at the time to be parents, so I was raised on food stamps for the first 9 years of my life by my Grandmother Georgia, and 6 Aunties. My uncles were in and out of jail and my father lived nearby, but I only saw him a handful of times.

1. Did you feel like you were missing out on not being raised by your Mom?

My Grandmother was such a stable figure in my life - thankfully. My Mom was a drug user at the time, and although she had regular jobs, she often hustled in the streets to get extra money. When I was 9, I moved back home with her, as she had just remarried. Over the next 7 years her husband supplied her with drugs and there was a lot of physical abuse. One day when I was 16, I attempted to protect my Mom, and my Stepfather got a gun and shot at me several times. I had to jump through a glass window to escape. My Mom broke up with him that day but got back with him later. I ended up not speaking to her for 5 years after that.

3. Where did you end up living after this happened?

After the incident with my Stepfather, my Grandmother was getting too old to have me stay with her. I moved in with my friend's family who just so happened to be Eddie and Sonia Racker, the family of Gregory Jacobs (Shock G -the lead rapper from Digital Underground). At the time I was school friends with his brother Kent. I will be forever grateful for them welcoming me into their family and their influence in my life at that time, as they provided a sense of stability and security that I hadn't really experienced, and a glimpse into a world outside the one I had grown up in.

1. Being so close to Shock G since you were young would have been really interesting! Can you tell me a little more about him?

To me, Greg was just family. He showed me how to DJ and we used to make up raps together. I didn't even realise how well known he was becoming until I was in college in LA. I was at one of his shows and Dan Akroyd, the actor, came backstage and asked Greg to be in his movie - Nothing But Trouble. It suddenly hit me at that point that he was famous. Through Greg, I first met Tupac when I went to pick him from LAX one day. Pac was one of Gregs roadies at the time. After knowing Pac personally, I'll never believe what I see in the media about celebrities.

1. I imagine it would have been challenging to stay engaged with school and not end up on the wrong path growing up?

Growing up I was surrounded by drugs and crime. At 12 I was unknowingly couriering drugs for two local dealers. By 13 I realised I was transporting drugs for them. They taught me how to drive, so I would drive a car with drugs to a location and then catch the bus home. When in college I continued hustling there. One day I started hanging out with a girl who I didn't realise was dating one of the baseball players I sold to. He reported me, the police came and I was expelled from school.

6. So how did you get to where you are now after that?

After that I stayed with my cousin in California. Zac was ex military and got me a job working with his trucking business - running the warehouse. I refused to fall through the cracks and was able to get a redshirt scholarship. Unfortunately I started hustling again there, and they carried my record over from Florida and I ended up doing a little time. When my Uncle Raymond passed away it really put things into perspective for me. While all this was happening I wished I had been able to reach out to him, and it made me realise I needed to grow up and make better choices.

1. It seems like you have had lots of different people and influences in your life, who would you say are the three people that have had the most impact on you?

Definitely Eddie. He became the fatherly figure that I never had. He provided safety and structure in my life at a time when I needed it the most.

I attended a basketball camp where Andrew Tony, Otis Birdsong, and Darryl Dawkins were the NBA players, where I developed my passion for the game.

Lastly my mother, who found God and was able to completely turn her life around by the time I was 20. She went to rehab and college and got her degree which inspired me to become the person I am today.

1. So going through all of that, how did sports, but specifically Basketball play a role in your life?

Basketball really gave me a place to just be my most authentic self. For me, football was all about being strong and fast, but basketball gave me so much more, it gave me a place to have fun, as well as structure, focus and discipline. I ended up playing well enough, that I was getting recognised as one of the top state players. I was the first to play three years of varsity basketball, starting all three years and I was the leading scorer in Tampa scoring 1220 points. However I was only 5’10 at the time, and most of the universities were only looking for players over 6’5.

9. How did you progress in basketball after this if the Universities weren’t taking notice of you?

I played in The Summer league at Loyola Marymont after Cal State. I worked out with players like Loy Vaught, Gary Grant and others. After this point I then joined a basketball travelling team for 12 years as one of several players globally selected to be ambassadors for Coke.

10. What are your thoughts about the sports culture, specifically basketball in

America?

Basketball is urban culture in America, where there is a strong bond between music and basketball. It has become a lifestyle and is a way to be seen and make a living in a positive way. A lot of us black kids have come from nothing or very humble beginnings. Sports and music has become a way to escape the hood, or a glimmer of hope, and although change has been slow we are finally seeing more inclusion and space given to black voices in companies such as Klutch Sports and ESPN.

11. Do you see a change in the way the younger players coming through the NBA play now versus MJ’s time?

The early 2000’s was all about guys coming together to play ball, they were coming out of high school, summer league and college, and were becoming best friends without having the dog in them! The 80'S and 90'S generation of ball players had grit, drive and a hood like struggle. There was a hunger and determination that the players in the 2000’s lacked. In my opinion - post 2000, I just felt like it was more of a “try to do your best” attitude. I can definitely see the pre 2000’s mentality and drive returning now though.

12. So tell me more about Draft City Ballers, what it is, and why you started it?

I started Draft City in 2019 because I had seen in the early 2000’s how the 3 point shot had started to change the game. It has become more important now that you can shoot rather than being able to slam dunk or do an alley oop. It started with Reggie Miller then Ray Allen, however Steph Curry changed a generation to the point where players like Trae Young have been able to be drafted to the NBA. I saw a unique opportunity where I could create a competition accessible to everyone so that others would be able to be recognised for their skills in a way that I hadn't been..

13. What keeps you pushing forwards with Draft City Ballers especially since you started it at the beginning of COVID? Why was it important for you to keep going?

There are lots of different basketball competitions around but there isn't solely just a shooting competition. COVID was the worst thing to happen in so many ways, but for me, starting Draft City at the start of COVID really was a blessing, as it gave me the space to really plan it out, work on it and really develop it into what I wanted it to be. I was able to have the clarity of mind and time to really focus on building Draft City Ballers into what it is becoming today.

14. Can you explain to me in a little more detail how the Draft City Ballers Competition works and why it is so inclusive?

It is a fan based, circuit shooting competition that is uniquely dual gender, where players can compete to see who is the best shooter. Men and women shoot equally the same (except when it comes to the slam dunk). Shooting has very little to do with age, size or gender. It was also really important to make the competition appealing to fans. Which is why I made it for a team of 3 players, 12 drills, with players hopefully qualifying to make their way to get to the top 25 in the world. Once the teams get to that point they will compete during the NBA all-star week, and potentially win $100,000.

15. It's amazing that men and women can compete together on the same level! I'm sure this gets Draft City some positive recognition?

It's the only shooting competition in the world that allows men and women to compete for the same amount of prize money and doesn't discriminate in any other way. I’ve definitely seen that brands are more willing to be a part of what we are doing, as we are creating such a unique and inclusive competition. Had Draft City been around when I was in college I think things would have been different for me. I have created a platform where kids who are shooters will get the recognition they deserve!

16. Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with Futuro magazine. Before we wrap up, I just have one last question for you. Thinking back over your life, with all the experiences you've had, and where you are now, what does it look like to you to live a happy and intentional life with purpose?

I live a life of a man with means. And when I say “means” that doesn't mean monetary, I live with intention and purpose and measurable results. We all have regrets in our life, I definitely do, but at the end of the day, I would like to think that I have learned from the mistakes I have made so that I can be the best and most impactful version of myself in the future, for my son and for others that are just seeking to have a break in life.

Remember,

We are better … together!