Dreams Achieving Dreams: Father-Son Duo Opens Barbershop in West Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — If you follow hoops in the basketball hotbed that makes up the Carolinas, the name BJ Mack probably rings a few bells.

The former standout at Wofford and South Carolina is off to continue his career overseas, but he’s helping his father, Brian, launch one of his own here in the Queen City.

“House of Hoops, because we wanted it to be everything basketball,” Brian Mack, BJ’s father.

The cutting-edge barbershop, filled from baseline to baseline with b-ball memorabilia, was built thanks in large part to BJ’s NIL money earned from his college days.

“It was just getting the money right, trying to find the right financial literacy about it and how to let things move slowly,” says BJ.

But when BJ first approached his dad, who’s dreamed about this shop for years, his answer was a resounding no.

“No parent wants to take money from your child to do this,” Brian explains.

“I was adamant about it. ‘No, BJ. That’s for you. That’s your money. You’ve earned it.’ And he just kept coming back.”

BJ earned a reputation as a relentless rebounder and finisher on the hardwood, and he refused to quit on the man who never quit on him.

“So I said, ‘Okay, man. If we’re going to do it, let’s do it that way,'” adds Brian, “Let’s do it and let’s do it right.’”

House of Hoops Barbershop opened its doors a month ago, and business has been a slam dunk so far.

“Not a lot of people have the opportunity to really support their parents’ dreams, so that’s a goal always a goal that you want to have,” beams BJ, “Especially for me to be able to do it now and let him just have something of his that he can really pour his blood, sweat, and tears in.”

And that’s exactly what the elder Mack has done. His goal is for this shop at the intersection of Tuckaseegee and Little Rock in West Charlotte to become hallowed ground for the next generation of hoopers.

“What would please me the best: Me sitting at home in my rocking chair 20 years from now and looking at the NBA draft, and seeing that little kid that came in the barbershop that looked at that and said, ‘I’m going on that wall,’ to see him walk across there, they can take me right there,” Brian laughs.

“To see that, you can take me right there.”