Living the Dream

L.A. Gay Basketball Team Wants You to Know That It Cares

Overcoming obstacles are some of the most defining moments in our lives. We face some of our most challenging as we learn to work together as an integral member of a team. In Los Angeles, in a gay basketball league, one team stands out. The L.A. Dream has nine core players who are recognized for their tenacious play and hard work on the court, yet their true character is defined off the court.


Co-captains Aaron Batts and Jermaine Johnson started the L.A. Dream three years ago. They wanted to build a team with a spirit and closeness that they found lacking on the teams they were playing for at the time. The inspiration for the name came to them from Hollywood and “living the dream,” but the team’s name has a deeper meaning to the members. As Batts explains: “It's important for people to look at us and say the Dream isn’t just about playing basketball. It’s about reaching out and changing lives.”

Sitting down over donuts, hotdogs, and mimosas the six L.A. Dream players I met with were eager to share their stories. The team members view themselves as brothers (and sometimes sisters) and they rarely call each other by their real names. Like many close teams, they adopted nicknames for each other that they proudly own. James Williams—aka “Big Girl”—is the tallest and most soft-spoken of the group. Johnson is known as “The Lady” or “Janet” (a reference to Janet Jackson). Brian Turner, the former hothead of the team, goes by “Compton Mess.” Batts is too shy to share the reasons behind his nickname of “Little Q.” Belgium native Michiel Thomas is affectionately called “Euro Trash.” Nicholas Romero or “Charlie Scheene” is known for his sass and ability to spice things up. Finally, Donavian Huskey goes by a variety of nicknames that derive from his last name, the most entertaining of which is “Don Chi-Chi.”

Becoming the L.A. Dream didn't happen overnight. The realization that they could do more than play basketball came by overcoming their own personal obstacles.

Coming together as a team is rarely an easy process, especially with the strong set of personalities that make up the Dream. Turner says that although he was a hothead when he joined the team, he quickly learned that despite his temper his teammates always had his back, even when he was wrong. “They would come back to me later and say ‘this is what you need to do to fix this problem,’” he said.

Williams simply looks like a great basketball player. He is tall, he is tough and he could probably pick up most people with just one hand. But when Big Girl first joined the team, he admits that he tended to watch all of the guys. He had little experience playing basketball, but the rest of the team supported and coached him. Big Girl was the runner-up for most improved in the league.

Before joining the team, Huskey was reading about how to find a boyfriend. One of the suggestions was to join a group that interests you. So, he joined the Dream. “Five years and 60 hair styles later, I'm still single. But, I'm still playing basketball.” While he didn't find a boyfriend, he has found a family.

When Thomas went through a breakup, his teammates were at his house within a half-hour to pack up his belongings and provide him with a place to stay. Michiel's family called from Belgium to thank the team and express their gratitude that Michiel had found a strong support system in Los Angeles.

As with any group of individuals who are trying to come together as a team, there are struggles in finding the right chemistry. Such obstacles are in no way unique to the Dream. However, the way that the team has responded after going through hardships has defined them.

When the L.A. Dream first began, their goal was to build a cohesive team with the players who had the best possible chemistry. But, as Batts explains, team priorities gradually shifted. Originally, their goal was to develop into a dynasty team. During the last year-and-a-half, Batts says, they realized “it's not so much about the championship as it is about reaching out to the gay community.”

Johnson describes their vision as “taking basketball to the next level.” By mimicking the goals of the NBA they have become more than just a team on the court.

Last summer the L.A. Dream filed to become a non-profit organization with the state of California. Their main focus is reaching out to protect their community against HIV/AIDS. Besides taking on HIV/AIDS education, in March 2010 the Dream raised money for the earthquake victims in Haiti by hosting a concert. Artist4Humanity sold over 1,000 tickets and hosted a silent auction. All proceeds from the event went to the Haiti victims. Last December the Dream hosted two toy drives—at Gym Bar in Los Angeles and The Silver Fox in Long Beach. All the toys were donated to the Salvation Army.

The Dream also teamed up with the Point Foundation, as volunteers for the organization’s 2010 scholarship event. The Dream took pride in being part of a group that provided scholarships to 25 students who had written noteworthy essays.

Recently the team's most ambitious project has been hosting their first annual Summer Jam. Their first tournament, scheduled for July 4th weekend, was to raise funds as they await their nonprofit designation. Summer Jam will be the team’s biggest annual fundraiser, and they plan to follow up with smaller events throughout the year.

“With The Dream, there's a lot of new opportunity, potential and momentum to take gay basketball into a new, modern era,” Romero told me. “When people join the league and see (our chemistry), they gravitate toward us immediately and want to be part of the team.”

Effective teamwork requires all members to share the same vision and, if you will, dream. While many on the team come from different walks of life, they are all cut from the same cloth. As a whole the L.A. Dream are a corps of gay men who strive to have a positive influence in the community they share. They do so when they step on to the court and entertain their fans, and they do so when they host charity events. Whom do they do it for? The Dream team does it for each other, their brothers on the court and the people who they have never met but will be inspired by them.
Whether they are playing basketball, working with the community, or laughing over mimosas, the L.A. Dream always strives to reflect their motto: “The Dream cares!”

For more information on the L.A. Dream visit www.ladreambasketball.org