People with Purpose: Cal Bruton OAM
This July, something powerful is happening in Broome led by Canberra’s Cal Bruton OAM.
Kids who usually play barefoot on a cracked concrete court with rusted hoops will arrive at the Broome Drop-in Centre to find it transformed. There will be fresh lines, brand new rings, and a shaded grandstand named in honour of beloved Aboriginal leader Mark Manado. And then, there will be Cal, or ‘Cap’, as thousands across Australia know him, ready to run a free three-day basketball clinic and community tournament. But as Cal says, it’s never just about basketball.
“We wanted to make sure the impact lasted. Not just fly in, run a camp, and leave. Those kids needed somewhere safe to play every day. Now, the kids are lining up before the drop-in centre opens just to play.”
From survival to sharing wisdom
Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Cal’s life lessons came hard and early. “My dad only had one hand,” he recalled. “He lost it in a work accident. Then, when I was nine years old, he was robbed at work and killed. My mum was pregnant with my younger sister at the time and straight away said to me, ‘You’re the man of the house now. You gotta stay out of trouble.’”
Trouble, however, was never far away in 1960s Brooklyn. Basketball became his tool of survival, his escape, and his guide. “I didn’t even have a court at first. I’d go to the back of the school and just shoot.” When the family eventually moved to Queens, Cal found new friends and spent winters shovelling snow off outdoor courts just to play. “The big boys would kick us off and say, ‘Thank you for clearing it.’ That made me more determined to get better.” A cheeky grin comes across his face as he remembers playing the big boys and winning the court back for him and his friends.
Determination became a defining theme in Cal’s life. Despite financial barriers, he made his high school team with mentors driving him to games and home again.
“I always felt if I was ever in a position to do that for others, I would.”
Cal knows better than anyone that you can’t always choose the cards you’re dealt, but you can choose how you play them. For him, those early hardships weren’t just obstacles, they became the fuel for his purpose. Each setback taught him resilience, each barrier built his determination, and each act of kindness he received became a lesson he would pass on. In turning his pain into purpose, Cal has shown that greatness isn’t about what you have, but what you give back to others along the way.
His drive earned him a college scholarship. But when he missed out on the NBA draft, he spiralled into depression. “I lost all my clothes, my home. My mum looked at me and said, ‘That’s what the pros do to you? I don’t want you to play anymore.’”
Yet basketball wasn’t done with Cal. A chance second try-out in Kansas City changed everything when Dave Atkins, an American coach, offered him an opportunity in Australia. “He gave me the chance to play and I became the leading scorer. Straight away I felt like an ambassador, visiting schools. I was only one of two Black players in the whole competition.”
That move would ultimately shape Australian basketball history, not only as a championship-winning player and coach, but as a mentor to thousands.
Why Broome matters
Years ago, Aboriginal leader Mark Manado introduced Cal to the community in Broome. “Mark took me around the Kimberley, four-wheel driving, bouncing through dirt roads,” Cal remembered. “I’d never experienced anything like it.”
Cal tells story after story of lives changed simply because he showed up. Like the 12-year-old in the Kimberley who hitched rides for weeks just to follow his clinics. “That kid turned up at the next camp, dusty from the road. He just wanted to be part of it,” Cal said. Or the young man from Perth who emailed him 30 years later, writing, “Four of my friends are in prison. I chose this path because of you. I’m now coaching my daughter’s team.” Even in Deniliquin recently, Cal was asked to run an after-school clinic. He expected 20 kids. Nearly 100 showed up.
He just smiled and got to work. Wherever Cal goes, people seem drawn to his energy, his kindness, and his quiet strength. It’s as if his presence creates a ripple effect, a natural force that pulls people in and lifts them up. His impact isn’t just in the skills he teaches but in the sense of hope and belonging he leaves behind.
Broome’s drop-in centre has always been a daily gathering point for kids, to connect, eat, and play. But until now, the court was falling apart. “They had terrible old hoops. It’s 30 degrees on average, with no shade.” The upgrade and camp are fully funded by GameAbove, the global philanthropic partner of BBF Powered by GameAbove.
This week, over 200 kids are expected to join Cal for the clinic. For many, it will be the first time they have met a Hall of Famer or played on a proper court. But Cal’s focus isn’t on his titles. It’s on what he can teach them. Because Cal’s purpose has always been bigger than sport. “Basketball was my tool, but family has always been my purpose.” His five sons and daughter are a testament to this, as is the new generation of Brutons coming through.
His pride is deep: “My grandson came up with the Bruton acronym when he was nine. B is be kind, R respect your elders, U use your manners, T trust in God, O own your mistakes, N never give up.” Cal laughs remembering his grandson explaining ‘own your mistakes’ after roughing up his little brothers, then confessing to Mum and Dad.
Today, Cal is paying forward those early lessons at scale.
Packing PRIDE and why it matters
At every clinic, Cal teaches his Pack Your PRIDE approach, a lived philosophy shaped by his own journey:
P – Presence: “Be here. Show up. You have to be present to grow.”
R – Respect: “Earn it and give it. Respect your elders, your teammates, yourself.”
I – Intelligent decisions: “Make choices that keep you on track. One bad move can change your life.”
D – Dedication, Discipline, Desire, Determination: “These build your future. Stay dedicated, put in the work, love what you do, and never give up.”
E – Effort: “None of this happens without effort. Give your best.”
“These aren’t empty words,” Cal said. They are truths from a man who grew up cooking breakfast for himself at 12 while paying bills and visiting his mother in hospital after she was committed for alcoholism. “If you stay the course, people will come around the circumference and help you. I try to be that person now.”
We jest that Cal has become a true Canberran and his acronym game is strong. Ultimately his spirit is contagious and we are confident kids leave his camps not just as better players, but with life lessons they carry forward.
“Everyone gets a T-shirt,” Cal smiles. “Doesn’t matter if you came in with the flashiest LeBron jersey. At our camps, we’re all the same team.”
Belonging, not barriers
In his 70’s, Cal is still working with long-term unemployed people, kids with disabilities, and Aboriginal communities nationwide. His clinics welcome everyone, adjusting goals so any child can reach them. “I grew up with my sister having a disability. I always want everyone included.”
His family remains his core purpose. “Basketball was my tool, but family has always been my purpose,” he said. His five sons and daughter, plus the next generation of Brutons coming through, are his pride. He shares how his grandson came up with the BRUTON acronym when he was just nine: Be kind, Respect your elders, Use your manners, Trust in God, Own your mistakes, Never give up. Cal laughs remembering him explaining ‘own your mistakes’ after roughing up his little brothers, then confessing to Mum and Dad.
Despite decades of championships, coaching accolades, and his Order of Australia Medal, Cal remains humble. “I never closed my house. Everyone comes in. My lady Jules is Macedonian, you come over, you’re gonna eat.” He smiles. “It’s about family and pride and having people feel they can see themselves and achieve their goals.”
He believes success is about family, pride, and helping people see themselves in him so they can achieve their own goals. “Just be good people,” he says. “Share, care, and do the right things. You never know when your kindness will come back to you.”
For Broome, this week is about more than a new court. It is about knowing someone sees their worth. Cal’s clinics teach basketball skills, yes – but they also teach confidence, discipline, and agency.
“Attitude is your altitude,” he told the kids last year. “Attitudes are contagious, is yours worth catching?”
The Broome camp is just one of many. Through BBF Powered by GameAbove, Cal continues to reach communities that others forget. “It’s about creating pathways, uplifting, and making sure kids know someone cares enough to invest in them,” he said.
Cal’s life has never been about collecting titles or building his own legend; it has been about creating spaces where others feel they belong. His purpose is woven through every conversation, every court upgrade, and every smile he offers to a child who feels unseen. Over the decades, he has built a quiet revolution of belonging, one that grows not through fanfare but through genuine human connection. It’s a lifetime of purpose that isn’t about achieving for himself, but about lifting others to stand taller in their own lives. In the end, his true legacy is the community of hope, pride, and possibility he leaves behind wherever he goes.
Be inspired by a life driven by purpose
From a boy shovelling snow off a court to a man rebuilding courts for kids in Broome, Cal Bruton’s purpose remains clear. He doesn’t just play the game. He changes it and in doing so, he changes lives.
Cal Bruton is a person with purpose because he shows every child that their future is worth investing in and that starts with being present, packing PRIDE, and never giving up.
To follow Cal’s journey or support BBF Powered by GameAbove, visit their website or connect on social media or simply be inspired by a life driven by purpose.
