We had the good fortune of connecting with Júnard Hartley and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Júnard, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I was born in 89′ at West Paces Ferry Hospital off of Northside Dr., I believe it has now been turned into an apartment building. Being a homegrown native of Atlanta equips you with a certain pace, style, and sense of persistence to be heard and seen. This especially holds true in Atlanta’s black community. Even before my time: the south boycotted systems to change laws, black owned enterprises were built from our everyday products, and the sports and entertainment sector exploded and set trends all over the world. My parents were heavily involved with the evolution of the city. My mother was a Cobb County Deputy Sherif in the MCS Task Force, because she saw her big sisters become police officers in their hometown of New Orleans, Louisiana. She later became a legal assistant for Attorney Bill Campbell’s law office, before he became the City of Atlanta’s Mayor. Soon after, I was running in and out of court rooms and sitting in the seats of Judges’ at the Fulton County Superior Court, while Mrs. Hartley became the Administrative Assistant for Judge Josephine Holmes Cook. Before Judge Cook’s untimely death, my mother became a Paralegal Investigator for various Atlanta law firms including Schwall Ruff & Goodman, Scott Scott & Scott, The Cuffie Law Firm, Barrickman & Allred, Hanna & Associates, and The Award Law Firm, where she is currently the Operations Manager. All of which were groups of people that attended my parents wedding, visited them in the hospital the day of my birth, and supported my athletic career. The early stages in my life were impacted by some very influential people in the city. My mother drove education, work ethic, and presentation. With that said, it was my father’s work environment that impacted me the most.

Anthony Hartley was a former Division 1 basketball player at Tennessee State under Coach Ed Martin. He later transfer and finished at St. Aug in Raleigh, NC. After my father’s playing career and graduation, he transitioned to a role for the City of Atlanta Parks and Rec as a site director for several parks. Attending F.L. Stanton Elementary School in the early 90’s made my father’s job my own personal after school program. Everyday after school, we’d head to Grant Park and I would replay every NBA game I had watched the night before. Full court! I would be in the gym by myself pretending to play every position of whatever squad I chose that day, for hours. “BJ Armstrong passes it to Pippen. Pippen looking for Grant, but is being denied hard… here comes Micheal.” I literally did this everyday after school and on Saturday mornings. I loved Atlanta in the summer! Camp Best Friends exposed me to other kids my age from way different walks of life than mine, but I witness my pops treat them the exact same way he was with me. Camp made me! I got into my first fight, received my first kiss, started taking off as an athlete, and created relationships that I still have today as an adult. I remember all the kids thought Pops was tough and mean, but they didn’t understand that he cared that much about who they could become regardless of their circumstances. My father identified with the kids in Cabbage Town, Oakland City, Cascade, and Dunbar. He was born to a 15 year old single mother in Charleston, SC. Coach Ant was the eldest of several siblings that he didn’t grow up with. He also was managing adult situations as a kid, while forging a basketball career that would allow him to get a free education. My father took his life experiences and poured into the youth of Atlanta by showing them what was possible.

As I continue my career in the grassroots world, I am reminded of the lessons from my parent’s success in Atlanta. Today, I am the MADE Hoops event director for the southeast. In my role, I help coaches, directors, and parents understand what they should do in order to align these kids with their dreams. Why? I had the same exact goals, and accomplished almost all of them. I often say, “I’ve been these kids!”, because I too was chasing a dream by observing the different approaches around me. What I later found out was there’s a multitude of ways to accomplish your dreams, but the journey along the way is what molds you for the blessings God has in store for you. Yes, I wanted to play in the NBA, but the pursuit of that goal is prepping me to accomplish that goal in a way that I didn’t know existed as a kid. My playing career curated off court roles for me that I didn’t know would keep me just as involved as an actual player in the game. As a result of my background and upbringing, I am thankful for the community my mother and father created for my development. Without it and God, I wouldn’t have accomplished or impacted anything. So I give them all the credit.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
In this critical role as MADE Hoops SE Director, I am responsible for collaborating closely with grassroots travel basketball teams, including those that are part of the MADE Hoops Circuit. My expertise is instrumental in enhancing team performance, streamlining operations, and ensuring a cohesive experience across the board at our events. My journey to the MADE Hoops organization has been extensive and diverse, having previously held several key positions in the tournament world. I had to demonstrate my capabilities as a tournament director, managing all communication to Southeast programs, curate camps, contribute to the media efforts of the MADE Hoops content team, and is a key contributor in the scouting department. I came in with a rich background in basketball operations that equipped me with a well-rounded perspective on both the operational and strategic aspects of organizations. This has positioned myself to make a significant impact in any leadership role. Through this guidance and relationships, I aim to elevate the experience for players and coaches, fostering an environment of growth and excellence in the travel basketball industry.

Saying yes to every opportunity that came my way, change the course of my professional life. Initially, I would be selective and conservative with job opportunities. Honestly, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. Basketball was my life passion, and working in it didn’t seem like real work. After saying no 3 times to being a Grad Assistant at the Georgia State under Ron Hunter, I realized I didn’t have any other opportunities. So I reached out multiple times to claim my spot on that staff. It was there that I notice how my locker room stories, my playing career, and the relationships I forged as a player were vital to finding my lane in this industry. I am excited about my future in this lane. MADE Hoops is a leader in this sector, and is in a high demand due to the expertise of our content team. Having the ability to capture every major play, equips me with a leverage in communication that other competing companies simply can’t match. This allows me to go after the best teams in the country, because they know we will capture their best moments and expose them to limitless opportunities.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
A week long trip in Atlanta, would definitely start with a fresh haircut with the same barber that has been cutting my hair since I was boy at Playmakers Barbershop on Memorial Dr. The old location was on Ponce De Leon, directly across the Krispy Kreme’s. Definitely, would get a dozen hot and ready glaze donuts while I waited for my turn. I grew up eating S&S Cafeteria and Paschals as a kid, so it’s a must have while I’m in the A. In regard to food, Atlanta is the wing capitol of the world. Wing Depot on Campbelton Road is my go to, but you can never go wrong with American Deli. JR Crickets and Taco Mac. A1 Soul Food on MLK is my favorite breakfast spot in the city. Great portions for low prices.

I really miss the vibe on Peters Street, but the Battery has been decent place holder recently. Park 12 on Cobb parkway used to be my automatic movie theater during high school. I think Perimeter Mall and Wish are my spots to go shop, but I can’t forget Walters for the cell phone Dickies uniform pants and shorts.

If I’m with my family, we are definitely going to the aquarium and watching Dolphin Tales. Walk through Centennial Park and get on the Skyview before heading home. We are concert goers! We’ve witness plenty of major artist at Lakewood, Statefarm, and Piedmont Park.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First and for most, I want thank and credit Jesus Christ for everything I am and will be. I think demonstrated how instrumental my parents were to my success, but I have had several coaches that have shaped my ideology of the game of basketball. My first coaches outside of my dad were Coach Fernando Jones and Coach Lonney Moltimore at Adams Park. These two touch a lot of professional athletes when they were elementary school. These two help me recognize that my dreams were possible, and gave me the preparation to chase them at 8 years old. Lastly, I would shout my high school coaches Tyrone Johnson and Eddie James. These two equipped me with a work ethic that evolved me into a fierce competitor, an unshaken leader, and a recipient of over 20 full athletic scholarships in high school. Thank you!

Website: https://madehoops.com

Instagram: @souf_madeju

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/junard-hartley-43338451?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app

Twitter: @Souf_MADEJu

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/junard.hartley

Image Credits
Sheer Candid
Jordan Kolakoski

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