Skip to content
Link copied to clipboard
Link copied to clipboard

Garry Mills helps the city’s youths combat gun violence. The Eagles are sending him to the Super Bowl.

Mills runs the nonprofit Shoot Basketballs NOT People. The Birds surprised him with tickets for the game long before they knew they'd be playing in it.

Garry Mills, the head of Shoot Basketballs NOT People, at a free program run by his organization at Germantown Friends School.
Garry Mills, the head of Shoot Basketballs NOT People, at a free program run by his organization at Germantown Friends School. Read moreErin Blewett / For The Inquirer

Garry Mills experienced his first Eagles game when the team invited the community leader to Lincoln Financial Field for the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Dec. 15.

The West Oak Lane native, who was a standout basketball player at Lincoln High School, has spent the last decade building and growing his nonprofit, Shoot Basketballs NOT People, which focuses on giving youths an outlet to combat gun violence in the city.

This year, the Eagles — as well as the 76ers — selected the organization to be partners in their campaign against gun violence and awarded it $30,000 through the team’s Social Justice Fund. The foundation, which started in 2010, became a nonprofit in 2013 and has since impacted more than 2,500 children.

Before the Eagles played the Steelers on Dec. 15, to celebrate Mills’ work, the team surprised him with two tickets to Super Bowl LIX. And now it’s only fitting that the longtime Philadelphian will have the chance to see his hometown team play for the Lombardi Trophy.

Brandon Graham surprised us, along with their staff,” said Mills, 41. “It was amazing, man, the Philadelphia Eagles have been nothing but amazing and supportive. … I’m still shocked, because the number one thing on my sports bucket list has been accomplished. We’re about to see the Eagles go against the Chiefs. You can’t put that into words.”

Mills will be bringing his cousin, Kyra Knox, with him to New Orleans. Knox is a film producer who directed and produced the 2023 documentary Bad Things Happen In Philadelphia. The film examines how programs for youths could ease the city’s gun violence crisis.

It features Mills’ nonprofit as well as the Mothers in Charge, an organization that offers counseling and mentoring services to those affected by gun violence. Mark Mims and Allen Iverson were also executive producers on the film. It was screened at the Philadelphia Film Festival in 2023 and can be purchased on Amazon Prime.

The documentary started off has a passion project. Then the self-funded short film caught attention on social media after Knox released a teaser.

“It kind of shows the intervention side of it,” Mills said. “Everybody sees the actual murder, but then what happens after the fact? When we talk about the moms and siblings losing siblings, now we have to have the intervention side, and that’s where we came in. We were able to create a beautiful documentary that was super heartfelt.”

The film helped spread awareness to form partnerships, attract larger donors, and get more volunteers involved. Since 2010, Mills worked two jobs to support the nonprofit. Toward the end of 2023, Shoot Basketballs NOT People received its first official grant.

Now Mills’ nonprofit has become his full-time gig. Every Sunday, the organization holds a free player development program in basketball at Germantown Friends School Field House from noon to 2 p.m. The age group ranges from 10 to 16.

Mills said the reason for his deep involvement comes down to legacy. He understands how impactful a prominent figure in one’s life can be. Mills’ grandfather was that person for him as a child. He was the president of Concerned Black men of Philadelphia and always made it a goal to give back to the West Oak Lane community.

However, when his grandfather died while Mills was studying at Virginia State, he moved back home to be with his family.

“My life kind of did a spiral, because he was a father figure to me,” he said. “It kind of sent me into a state of depression a little bit, because the person who gave you the necessary tools is no longer around. But one day I said, ‘It’s time for me to do something for my neighborhood.’”

At that time, the Germantown area was experiencing hardship from gun violence, Mills said. He didn’t see many outlets made available for kids to turn to. When he was a teen, basketball was his safe haven and in many ways saved his life.

“I experienced my first murder at the age of 14 with one of my teammates from the West Oak Lane Wildcats,” Mills said. “I was losing too many friends, and their friends were losing friends. When we were growing up as kids, we had so many different outlets to play basketball, whether it was the Department of Rec, Police Athletic League, or Sonny Hill League.

“I started to see these programs decline, and one of the things that really struck me was the organizations that were shutting down — nothing was replacing them in my neighborhood.”

So Mills took matters into his own hands. He has forged a path in being an advocate for his community, and there’s more work to be done, he said. The goal is to open the nonprofit’s own facility and offer programing seven days a week. He’s hoping to fundraise and solidify a location in Philadelphia by 2026.

His trip to New Orleans, however, will be a time to relish in the moment. He can’t deny, though, that the Eagles’ recognition has motivated him to want to do more.

“Basketball has introduced me to so many people and opportunities,” Mills said. “The game brought me to the Super Bowl — I can feel the confetti falling. The boys are beating the Chiefs and upsetting this whole three-peat situation. The Bird game is going to be heavy down there. This experience is going to be awesome.”