‘It was an idea and now it’s real:’ Local basketball league aiming to end gun violence tips off

By Diana Panuncial

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    CALEDONIA, Wisconsin (The Journal Times) — Two jerseys were hung Sunday on either side of a basketball hoop inside Gallo Sports Center, 4726 Six Mile Road.

“Those two jerseys represent Dontrell Bush and Marcus Caldwell,” said Isaiah Lambert, organizer of the Put The Guns Down Basketball Association.

Bush and Caldwell were Horlick High School basketball players killed with guns. Bush was killed on May 7 and Caldwell was killed Oct. 17.

In May, in the week of Bush’s death, Lambert took to Dream Court near the Dr. John Bryant Community Center on Caron Butler Drive with exactly that — a dream. He said he wanted to start a basketball league to end gun violence.

Lambert wanted community members to put the guns down, and pick basketballs up instead. And so, the Put the Guns Down Basketball Association was created.

Its first games tipped off Sunday afternoon at Gallo Sports Center.

First tipoff games

Hundreds of community members buzzed in anticipation as they watched the first teams warm up before the game. Lambert, a rapper known as “Lul Icey,” greeted players and supporters alike with handshakes and high-fives.

“It’s really exciting. I literally just got here and there were already boatloads of cars here,” Lambert said. “It’s nice to see the impact of the community. It was an idea and now it’s real.”

Indeed, PTGDBA was just a Facebook post with over 200 shares when it was first announced. But resounding support from the community, signups of basketball players and sponsorships made the dream come true.

The league has 10 teams made up of over 80 players, Lambert said.

“The players are excited. They’re coming out of retirement from being high school stars, or they’re playing in college and they’re happy to be able to play back home,” Lambert said.

The teams played four games on Sunday. The Royal Dance Factor group, a Racine-based nonprofit dance team, performed.

Help from community The games were sponsored by Soul Revival Church, a nondenominational church in Racine led by Melissa and TJ Poisl. The Poisls got involved after hearing of Lambert’s idea and asked how they can help. They provided the players’ jerseys.

“God put something in Isaiah’s heart to go out and pull people together for a good cause,” TJ said. “We’re proud of Isaiah. We’re just thankful as a church that we could support and say, ‘We believe in your vision and what you’re doing and how you can continue to help reach kids and let them know that there’s different pathways to go. There’s different things that you can pursue.’”

The game was originally meant to be played back at Dream Court, but was moved to Gallo Sports Center due to weather. Lambert said he wanted to thank Tom Sollman, the Gallo owner, for allowing the league to play.

“It was a no-brainer,” Sollman said of offering the indoor court to the league. “It was a great turnout and a good cause that needs to keep going.”

Spectator Kendra McLain, whose daughter Jorri Rankins performed with Royal Dance Factor, said she is glad to see the community come together under one purpose.

“We’re tired of all of it, the gun violence,” McLain said. “I’m hoping this’ll motivate these kids to stay off the streets and do something.”

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