Muggsy Bogues
At 5’3”, AAA Member Muggsy Bogues might have been an unlikely candidate for a career as point guard in the NBA. He not only dispelled the “height advantage” myth in basketball, he crushed it. He was drafted by the Washington Bullets in 1987, and snatched up a year later by the Charlotte Hornets during the expansion draft. Charlotte has been the Bogues’ home since 1988.
“The people, the business owners — they really helped us become part of the community,” Bogues shares. “The growth of the city is a beautiful thing. There are so many economic opportunities.”
A fan favorite during his 10-year career with the Hornets, Bogues continues to be a fan favorite off the court. When he isn’t speaking and working as an ambassador for the NBA, Muggsy’s busy inspiring others to accomplish their goals — no matter how out of reach they may seem. He does so with his nonprofit organization, Muggsy Bogues Family Foundation, which he runs with his daughter, Brittney.
“We focus on student athletics, leadership development, character building, mentoring and other ways to help kids reach their full potential,” he explains.
Partnering with CMS schools, the organization provides scholarships to students and helps mobilize and empower at-risk families.
A AAA Member for over 10 years, Bogues values the peace of mind being a member provides. “AAA has always been reliable,” he says. “All my kids have a membership. As soon as they started driving, we signed them up!”
For more information about Muggsy and his organization, visit MuggsyBogues.com.
Brittney Bogues
Drive, determination and a community mindset seems to be a common strand in the Bogues’ family DNA. After working as a successful entrepreneur in the public relations and nonprofit industries, Brittney Bogues joined her brother, Ty, in a business venture.
“My brother texted me and asked if I wanted to start a business with him,” Bogues shares. “I hired a business coach and created a business plan. It was important for me to know how we could best benefit the community.”
And Bogues Consulting Group was created. They’ll celebrate two years in April, having launched a slew of successful campaigns for an impressive list of clients.
“We’ve gotten to work on some really cool events,” Bogues says. “The 2019 NBA All-Star Weekend here in Charlotte was one of them. It was an amazing experience.”
In addition to her consulting business responsibilities, Bogues’ carves out time to invest in the senior community with her volunteer group, Give Hugs and Tech Bugs. The idea for it was born from Brittney’s close relationship with her grandmother. Her visits would often include helping her grandmother (and her grandmother’s friends) with technology and social media platforms.
“Currently it’s just me and a small group of volunteers visiting local community centers,” she explains. “We show residents how to do things on their smart phones and computers. Afterwards, we go around and hug them.”
With her busy schedule, Bogues doesn’t have time for life’s interruptions. Her AAA Membership comes in handy when the unexpected happens, though.
“The road service component to my AAA Membership is so valuable,” she says. “With a car, something always seems to be going wrong. I use my membership for train tickets, too. The discounts are awesome!”
For more spotlights visit AAA.com/GoSpotlight
(Go Magazine March/April 2020)