RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Legendary Richmond AAU basketball coach Tony Squire reflects on his historic career and how he introduced AAU basketball to the Greater Richmond area. For 39 years, Squires Basketball program helped mold some of the game's best players: including Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett an d 2026 NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson. Squire started the program in the 1980s. “I wasn’t good enough to make the team out of three schools,” Squire said. “I was always around the games, going to the games and following guys' careers, mainly the ones that were lucky enough to get scholarships after high school.” Squire saw an opportunity to grow his team.  Still, the program wasn't a slam dunk. Back then, there was no social media to carry your reputation, only word of mouth and playing in front of coaches. “It was a struggle; we didn’t have a lot of sponsorships. We used to send letters out to try to get some money to help the kids,” Squire said. “We kept saying, ‘we got to keep finding a way’ and there was no kid left behind with us. We made it happen.” Squires reflected on his historic career and got commentary from names like former player Arthur Blakey and former UConn Conn head coach and Naismith Hall of Famer Jim Calhoun. “He cared more about the kids than he did about the win,” Calhoun said. “Tony's not worried about the standard level. He's worried about your level, where you can be, where you can fit.” Former Prince Edward High School coach James Scott recalled how he met Squire and his generosity. "He would actually let my team in to play in his programs because money was very hard to come by,” Scott said. “He would let us play free sometimes in certain tournaments and I'm very appreciative of that." Arthur Blakey is a current JP Morgan executive and former Squires basketball player in the 1990s. “I was blessed enough to make the B-team, 17U in 1999, it was a great experience,” Blakey said. “I played with the program and eventually went to Hamden-Sydney College, where I was able to get my degree and get into the corporate industry. I wouldn't be where I am right now had it not been for Tony.” Former LSU basketball head coach John Brady, top recruiter, spotted Chris Johnson, a Squire’s basketball player, at a Las Vegas AAU tournament organized through Tony Squire's network. The 6-foot-11 center’s performance established the connection between Squire's program and Brady's staff, ultimately leading Johnson to sign with LSU. “I would trust Tony with any young person, my own children, if I wanted them to advance in the basketball world,” Brady said. “I think college basketball needs that type of influence and that type of support. I just wish there were more of him.  Squire reflected on his legacy, saying he hopes people saw him as someone who had a passion to help others. ...read more read less