LAS CRUCES – The first time Justin Hawkins met Brandon Mason, the 6-7 University of Utah transfer wanted to embarrass Mason, a former New Mexico State standout and pro player at the time, who had just won the 2006 NBA D-League Championship with the Albuquerque Thunderbirds.
“Somebody told me he was a pro and I was trying to kill him,” Hawkins said. “It was my birthday that day and he ended up renting a limo and ended up going out that night and had an amazing time. From that moment, he’s been like a big bro to me.”
Even as fellow competitors, it’s hard to hold a grudge for long against Mason. Who else could be beloved by both New Mexico State and University of New Mexico basketball fan bases than the Chicago native who calls New Mexico home?
“I’m really proud of him,” Hawkins said. “It’s amazing work he’s been putting in for New Mexico to try to bring some recognition for basketball in this area. If anybody can do it, it’s B-Mase. He’s a man of the people.”
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Mason is the man behind bringing the $1 million winner take all The Basketball Tournament to New Mexico, where he also established the only basketball prep school in the state, Albuquerque Basketball Club.
But it certainly didn’t happen overnight.
After his playing career, Mason has been on the coaching staff at both the University of New Mexico, twice, and at New Mexico State, even following Marvin Menzies to UNLV for a stint.
Mason was still a college assistant when he established a UNM alumni game in 2015. But the former Aggie didn’t stop there. He organized a Rio Grande Rivalry alumni game in 2016, in which Hawkins played.
Eventually Mason organized The Enchantment, a UNM alumni team that played in last year’s TBT, losing to an Oklahoma State team in Wichita, Kansas. Mason followed up by establishing The Panamaniacs, a NM State alumni team featuring Hawkins and others, who will play The Enchantment in the first round of the Albuquerque Regional on Monday on ESPNU.
Tickets are on sale at GoLobos.com.
“Once we were able to join and were admitted to (last year’s TBT), I was trying to fund travel for that team and we did an alumni game with 4,000 fans and the support online and the game, I said imagine if you would do a regional there,” Mason said.
This week’s Albuquerque Region includes alumni teams from Boise State and Colorado State, as well as both New Mexico Division I programs.
“It gives the west and southwest teams a regional for the TBT and I connected the dots with UNM and they knocked it out of the park with presentations and different things and it worked out,” Mason said.
Much like everyone involved in the two New Mexico TBT teams, Mason has a day job, which also happens to revolve around basketball.
His ABC program features 26 AAU teams (boys and girls) and the prep school competes at in The Grind Session, against top preps from across the country.
“I had mentors where I grew up in Chicago at the YMCA and different places where they made sure we were playing nonstop,” Mason said. “We had different avenues in Chicago that I didn’t see. I have three boys of my own in this community that I want to be successful in basketball and life and I wanted to be that person to bring more attention and awareness to basketball. “
Former Aggie player and Organ Mountain boys head coach Michael Nanez left his job with the Knights, following Mason to Albuquerque, where his son, Evan, is a seventh grader in the prep school.
“We’re trying to help the New Mexico kids,” Nanez said. “We know there are players here and now good schools are offering these kids. I’ve known Brandon since he was 17. His connections and the faith coaches have in him and he has an eye for talent so when he reaches out to other coaches about a kid, they listen.”
New Mexico isn’t a traditional hot bed for basketball talent, but ABC is building with exclusively in-state players.
“We are playing at the highest level and we are playing with kids from New Mexico,” Mason said. “I could easily go get 10 kids from somewhere else and try to compete at a higher level and do more. I’m really not about the shoe deal stuff and the national attention for myself. I’m about kids from New Mexico getting opportunities that they haven’t gotten.”
While Mason is decisive on making things happen in the background, don’t try to peg him to pick a winner for Monday’s game, even though he had some success against the Lobos as a player.
“I remember guarding Ruben Douglas, who led the nation in scoring and Lou Henson told me I shut him down and he had 27,” Mason said. “We had some good battles and I won more games than I lost against UNM.”
So where can you find Mason on Monday, during the game?
“I’m going to be standing near the bench of whatever team is winning,” Mason said.
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