He’s fulfilling his father’s dream!
B.J. Mack recently wrapped up his final year as a South Carolina Gamecocks. While now pursuing his master’s degree in sports business management, Mack is putting his NIL earnings to good use, the 24-year-old using the money to help his father open a barbershop, WYFF 4 News reports.
“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,” his father Brian Mack told reporters.
At first, his father admits he was hesitant, wanting his son to do something for himself.
“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,” the elder Mack explained.
It's safe to say that name, image and likeness has transformed the landscape of college athletics.
But former @GamecockMBB standout, @thebjmack33, is using his earnings to give back to the community & better the lives of the people closest to him💈🏀 pic.twitter.com/zFuQE1Zhir— Chase Justice WYFF News 4 (@ChaseJusticeTV) July 12, 2024advertisement
Eventually, he gave in and the two are now the proud owners of House of Hoops Barbershop in Charlotte, North Carolina.
For B.J., helping his father fulfill his lifelong dream is a dream come true. He felt it was a good use of his NIL earnings and a good way to ensure they start building generational wealth. According to Blavity, his father Brian has been a barber for nearly three decades, and the idea of supporting his father in this way while paying tribute to their shared love of basketball just made sense.
“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,” explained B.J.
The shop is filled with framed jerseys, plaques and basketball memorabilia. They’re hoping to inspire other children and serve as a space that can help the community while also contributing to the basketball culture in the city. Recently, they collected basketball shoes for children in need and the father son duo say this is only the beginning.
“We want to be an inspiration for the next kids. I can’t wait until I’m old, sitting around in my rocking chair, and I see that little boy that was in the barbershop walking across the NBA Draft stage,” said Mack.
The House of Hoops barbershop is located at 2504 Little Rock Road, Suite D. off of Interstate 85 in Charlotte.
Cover Photo: 24 Year Old Gamecocks Alum Uses NIL Money to Open Father’s Barbershop in Charlotte/B.J. Mack gets haircut from father Brian Mack at House of Hoops in Charlotte, NC/Photo Credit: Khadejeh Nikouyeh/Charlotte Observer