They say if you change one person’s life for the better, then your life has been well lived. Meet Calvin Thomas Bruton OAM – NBL Hall of Famer, former professional basketball player, and coach. Cal has been an integral part of the National Basketball League since its inception and has changed thousands of lives.

A long-time believer in the notion that sport builds bridges, Cal has leveraged his love of basketball to inspire everyone from Indigenous youth to public and private sector executives to kids all over the country to get excited and achieve more. Cal knows from his personal experiences how basketball can transform the lives of others.

“To me, it’s not just enough to be the kid that had it tough but made good, I want to be remembered as the tough kid that made good things happen for others,” says Cal, Director at Bruton Basketball Foundation (BBF) PhD in leading by example, opportunity magnet, and optimistic realist.

The path to his current Director role with BBF from humble beginnings is punctuated by some very public highlights. Cal was one of the first imports to play in the NBL in Australia.

“Success isn’t just about what you accomplish in your life. It’s about what you inspire others to do!”

The Bruton Basketball Foundation (BBF) brings Lessons 4 Life to at-risk, displaced and disadvantaged youth through weekly school programs and basketball camps, throughout schools in Canberra, the surrounding region and nationwide.

Cal has drawn from his life experiences and childhood to create BBF. Through his infectious positive attitude and amazing outlook on life – even through his own hardship – Cal demonstrates how not only to survive, but thrive!

BBF provides an engaging and innovative model that enables youth access to learn from positive and engaging role models during one of the most important phases of their development, ages 10 to 18.

The Program builds in the kids the knowledge and skills they need to finish school and become positive and well-rounded individuals who help support and guide themselves and those around them into a bright future – a higher education, vocational training, professional sport or directly into a career.

The Program inspires youth, improves their communication and provides a common language about learning the importance of what teamwork does for them, their families, and the broader community and their role in it. BBF empowers and promotes a sense of belonging through the game of basketball.

BBF is a fully DGR charity and volunteer-led.

Take a Shot

BBF is excited to launch the campaign – Take a Shot … Making a Shot in celebration of the very first official United Nations World Basketball Day. WBD is the brainchild of Professor David Hollander from New York University. 

December 21st is the day that Dr James Naismith introduced the game of basketball in Springfield, Massachusetts. Basketball is the first team sport to get an official UN International Day. This historic decision reflects the global significance of basketball and its power to unite people worldwide.

BBF became involved with WBD through a personal introduction to Professor Hollander on a Zoom session.

Cal and Professor Hollander hit it off straight away and, despite being unable to meet in person, continued to plan what they could do to celebrate WBD in Australia. Not long after that, it was agreed on a campaign and Professor Hollander sent a video clip saying how proud he was to work with the Bruton Basketball Foundation to celebrate WBD.

Q&A with Cal Bruton OAM

Why was basketball so important to you at such a young age and how did it influence your life?
It was the only sport I could play by myself and use my imagination to create scenarios, of playing against the best players in the world. In other words, just dreaming.

My dad was murdered when I was seven and I have an intellectually handicapped albino sister who is only 10 months younger than me, and a younger sister who was born a month after my dad died.

My mom struggled with an alcohol addiction soon after and she impressed upon me to play sport so I wouldn’t head out to the tough streets of New York City and get into trouble. She labelled me the man of the house and felt playing sport would keep me busy after school and over the summer months.

I played all sports as a youngster, baseball was my initial favourite but after my dad passed, I no longer wanted to play it because you needed someone to play catch with and pitch to you batting which he used to do. I played football (aka Gridiron) but again you needed someone to play with.

Basketball was the sport that I could practise by myself. I could shoot, dribble and work on my skillset. I would watch games on television and then go to the park and practise, and when others came along, we would play, one on one, two on two, three on three, four on four, and run up and down the court in five-on-five games.

Basketball courts became my happy place, although I continued to play other sports, but basketball quickly became my favourite as I continued to develop and made my Springfield Gardens High School team.

From there, I was able to earn a full scholarship to Wichita State University and have a fully paid education. I also was able to travel around the US competing at the college level and overseas to Brazil, which opened my eyes to being a professional basketball player.

From that point, I could see basketball becoming the vehicle for future employment and so I started preparing myself to become a professional basketball player. It is what got me to Australia as I was one of the first imports to promote the game here. I had a very successful career and thank the game for keeping me on this pathway.

That’s the influence basketball has had on me to this very day.

Tell us about the Take a Shot campaign. What is the call to action?

The World Basketball Day Campaign that our BBF team came up with is ‘Take a Shot of you making a shot’. The call to action is for everyone to participate, to get a basketball and get to a basketball ring and take a shot of yourself making a shot. That was the inspiration for me to see the ball go through the hoop. We have a Corporate Challenge too, as we want to see CEO’s, leaders, executives take part. Video and upload you taking a shot for the world to see!

We have a few categories such as best teamwork, most skilled, most creative and funniest.

I believe taking a shot – in life as well as on the court – gives me positive vibes. I believe, like Professor Hollander has written in the title of his new book, that ‘Basketball can save the world’.

I believe a campaign around Australia featuring our multicultural communities, particularly our First Nations communities, can send positive energy, optimism, enthusiasm, purpose, joy, passion and a spirit to live, work and perform at a higher level, eventually leading into my favourite motto, teamwork makes the dreamwork.

Basketball is contagious and it can bring together everyone and anyone no matter gender, disability, diversity, physical stature for young and old alike.

After such a successful career in the NBL, why did you set up BBF and why do you want to help so many underprivileged kids?

I set up BBF because I was one of those disadvantaged, underprivileged kids who used basketball as my tool of engagement instead of drugs, alcohol, crime and truancy. I believe basketball taught me values, and I wanted to pass that message on to those same demographics that if I could use basketball to further my education and be a good person, then so can you.

I have six children – five sons and one daughter. All my boys play basketball and coach basketball. They have gone on to use the vehicle toward a better life.

Basketball helped me get back on track after I missed out on the professional level in the NBA and my mom placed me in a mental institution because she felt I was depressed from not making the NBA in America.

I went back into the gym and practised on my own until I felt I was ready to move on from NYC and took a job hauling trash. That transition was enough for me to want to continue playing basketball which led to me coming to Australia, whereby I’ve been a championship player, coach, represented Australia, Hall of Famer, received an OAM for my contribution to the sport, and am still letting the kids know that if I can do it, they can do it too!

Join us in celebrating the world’s first official World Basketball Day!          

THE CAMPAIGN: Take a Shot … Making a Shot!

We want to encourage you, no matter who you are, where you are, to grab your mate and participate!

A group of friends, teammates or family to come together and record making a shot! There will be winners and prizes announced on World Basketball Day 2023. We want to see:

• Best Teamwork
• Most Creative
• Most Skilled
• Funniest

Once you have made your video, head to the BBF website, register, upload your video and make a $1 donation to BBF. BBF will tag you so that you can share and help WBD – Take A Shot campaign go viral!