There’s nothing quite like walking into a brand-new basketball court before the games even start. The rims still gleam. The paint hasn’t been scuffed yet. Every line looks perfect. And when you fill that space with kids sprinting around in excitement, sneakers squeaking across fresh hardwood, eyes wide because NBA players and NBA 2K just pulled up to their neighborhood, the energy hits different.
Honestly, it feels better than Christmas morning.
And somehow, that atmosphere was sitting right here in our
own backyard Wednesday afternoon at the Boys & Girls Club Excelsior Clubhouse in San Francisco, where 2K Foundations (the philanthrophic arm of the legendary 2K video game franchise) unveiled a newly refurbished basketball court designed for the hundreds of kids who use the facility every week.
I was invited out to cover the unveiling, which featured appearances from Ronnie 2K, Golden State Warriors guard Will Richard, and GSW champion Festus Ezeli. But as cool as the event itself was, what stuck with me most happened before the ribbon cutting.
That’s when Rob Connelly, President of Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco, stepped to the microphone.
Before the mini-games, before the giveaways, before the photos and celebrations, Rob stood in front of the crowd and talked about what this moment meant for the kids and families of the Excelsior District. Not in a polished corporate way. Not like somebody checking off talking points. He talked like somebody who understood exactly what a safe gym, a beautiful court, and a sense of belonging can mean to a young person growing up in a city that doesn’t always make space for them.
And listening to him, I realized I didn’t just want to cover the court. I wanted to talk to the man behind the work that made the room feel the way it did.
Daniel: Okay, we’re rolling. First of all, how’d you get here, man? I saw you down on the court giving that wonderful speech. The kids were excited, NBA players were here, NBA 2K was here. But how did Rob get here?
Rob: I’m actually from the East Coast originally, so I’m not a local guy. I grew up playing basketball and spent time in Jersey City and Harlem because that was where some of the best basketball was being played. It had a huge impact on me.
A lot of my teammates really relied on those programs for stability and opportunity. Basketball kept them focused in school. It made them think about college. I had great coaches and mentors who genuinely cared about young people. At the time, I don’t think I consciously knew, “This is what I want to dedicate my life to,” but the experience definitely stayed with me.
I played basketball in college, and after that, everything kind of pushed me toward Wall Street. I worked there for a couple years. I liked it, but I didn’t love it. I always had this feeling in the back of my mind that I wanted something more meaningful.
Eventually I ended up in D.C., and Boys & Girls Clubs was looking for someone to work in government relations. I did that for two years, but I wanted to be closer to the communities themselves. Then a job opened up in San Francisco, and I thought, “Alright, I’ll go to San Francisco for a couple years.” Now here I am, almost 27 years later with Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco. I’ve been running the organization for about 20 or 22 of those years.
Honestly, it’s been incredible. It’s an unbelievable opportunity to help shape young people’s lives and support families who are working hard and trying to create safe, positive environments for their kids. We have 15 locations overall, 14 here in San Francisco plus a summer camp in Mendocino County. We serve about 1,500 kids a day and around 15,000 annually.
And I’ve been here long enough now that kids who came through the club are grown up and bringing their own kids here. That’s special.
What I love most is connecting the dots. One day I’m talking with CEOs and philanthropists, the next I’m talking with families who are just trying to make ends meet. For me, it’s all about helping make good things happen for San Francisco, but especially for kids, families, and neighborhoods.
Daniel: Gotcha. Thank you. So we’re talking about your love for basketball and your work with Boys & Girls Club. How does NBA 2K come into all this?
Rob: We were fortunate to connect with 2K about a year ago. Right away, Erica McCabe and the team said, “We want to do something meaningful in San Francisco, and we know sports are one of the pillars of the Boys & Girls Club.”
Sports are one of the main reasons kids come through our doors, so we started talking about projects.
This clubhouse here in the Excelsior is an amazing club. Excellent staff, tons of kids, and so many families in this neighborhood rely on the program. We already had a great gym structurally, but it needed a refresh.
The 2K team immediately said, “Let’s do it.”
So we completely redid the court. As you saw, it’s full of uplifting visuals, the Golden Gate Bridge, the cable cars, the skyline. We also wanted it to feel local to the Excelsior neighborhood. There’s a famous water tower nearby that everyone recognizes, and a lot of the streets here are named after cities and countries, so we incorporated those elements into the design too.
It was important that kids could look at the court and feel pride in their own neighborhood. Every day after school, we have around 215 kids here. During the summer, that number jumps to around 250 or 260 kids a day. They’re here up to eight hours a day, so this gym gets constant use.
And next door, the San Francisco Community School uses the gym for PE every day too. So this place is active from probably 8:30 in the morning until 7:30 at night.
Daniel: You mentioned 27 years doing this, and honestly, I can hear it in your voice. You genuinely love this work; it’s not something you wake up dreading. What motivates you now? What excites you about taking the organization to the next level?
Rob: For years I wondered, “What’s next after this?” But honestly, this is what I’ve always wanted to do.
We’re always looking for new areas of the city where we can expand our programs. We’re well known in San Francisco for serving young people, but we’re also trusted in the philanthropic community. People know that when they donate to Boys & Girls Clubs, we’re going to honor that donation and make sure it directly benefits kids.
One of the big things ahead for us is building a new clubhouse in the Tenderloin. It’s the most densely populated area in San Francisco for young people. We’ve had programs there for years, but they’ve been spread across several small sites, which makes things difficult operationally.
Now we’re going to build a permanent club there, something that’ll still be serving kids and families 50 years from now.
The Tenderloin is a fascinating neighborhood. People see the challenges on the streets, but they don’t always realize how many families are living upstairs. Multi-generational households, families working hard just trying to stay afloat. The club becomes an important part of helping make that possible.
A few years ago, after about eight years of work, we also opened a new clubhouse in Sunnydale, which is the city’s largest public housing community. It’s a beautiful facility built in partnership with Mercy Housing and Related Builders.
That community is still being rebuilt, but our club is already there serving families. We try to think long-term. We want this organization to be around 50, 100 years from now, long after me. Being part of rebuilding neighborhoods and creating spaces that last decades is what excites me.
Daniel: Totally. I love that. So in terms of your personal legacy, if your jersey’s hanging in the rafters one day, what do you want people to know about Rob?
Rob: Honestly, it was never about me.
I’m someone with confidence in what I can do, but not a lot of ego. I like making things happen and then stepping back so others can take the bow. What matters most to me is that this organization is stronger when I leave it than when I arrived. I want Boys & Girls Clubs to still be thriving 75 or 100 years from now.
That means making smart decisions today, building facilities, putting roots down in neighborhoods, creating something sustainable no matter what economic challenges come.
I’m always thinking about two things simultaneously:
What does a young person need today?
And what will this neighborhood need from Boys & Girls Club 10, 20, or 25 years from now?
Whenever we enter a neighborhood, the intention is to stay for the long haul.
And honestly, one of the coolest things for me is looking through old photos. This organization has been around since 1891. Long before me.
You look back at photos from World War II, or after the great earthquake and fire, and Boys & Girls Club was there. Through difficult times, through economic struggles, the organization kept showing up. What we’ve always understood is that it starts with kids. We care deeply about families and neighborhoods too, but the mission always comes back to young people.
I feel a huge sense of responsibility carrying that legacy forward, and a lot of pride in the work we’ve been able to do during my time here.
Daniel: Final question. For kids thinking about joining, or families interested in using this space, what’s your message to them?
Rob: Make a commitment to the Boys & Girls Club, and we’ll make a commitment to you.
I can honestly tell any parent: if you commit to getting your child to the club three days a week, we’re going to help that kid succeed. We’re going to help them get to the next grade, graduate high school, and build a plan for their future.
Find the club closest to you. Build relationships with the staff. Let us partner with you as parents.
We always say that when the adults in a child’s life are connected, parents, club staff, school staff, incredible things can happen.
No matter how difficult life gets for a family or a neighborhood, when adults stay connected and committed, we can do amazing work for young people.
Daniel: Fantastic work, man! Thank you for your time, Rob.
Rob: (laughs) I didn’t think I was going to talk so much about myself!
Daniel: Hey man, the people need to know your story too!
