Indiana Lyons go through offseason changes, but ready to build on success in 2021-22
DANVILLE, Ind. (BVM) — In just three seasons in the American Basketball Association (ABA), the Indiana Lyons have seen plenty of success. Last year, the franchise won its first playoff game while making it all the way to the league’s final eight. Now, in what should be a more normalized season, the Lyons are hoping to build off that success.
When it comes to the Lyons, it begins with CEO and owner, Tyrone Brown. Over the first three seasons of the franchise, Brown was also the team’s head coach.
Growing up on the west side of Chicago, Brown moved to the Indianapolis area over a decade ago. Along with his wife, Deborah, Brown has become a successful business owner through multiple companies including Information Systems Consultant’s Inc., Second Chance Staffing LLC and Kingdom Entrepreneurs.
From a young age, Tyrone always had a great passion for basketball as well.
“Growing up, watching some of your favorite players like Michael Jordan grow, it instilled something in me,” Tyrone said.
A few years ago, an opportunity came about to combine his passion for basketball with his successful business career. After meeting ABA CEO Joe Newman, Tyrone began the idea of creating an ABA franchise in the Indianapolis area.
“One day I was introduced to Joe Newman, who is the CEO of the ABA, and that kind of piqued my interest,” Tyrone added.
Before long, the Indiana Lyons franchise was formed. And for the Browns, the idea behind the team was strengthened thanks to their previous experience.
“We own a company called Second Chance Staffing, so when we thought about the basketball, that really gave us a light to move forward,” Tyrone mentioned. “When we started putting together the team and organization, it was all about second chances. We started going throughout the city, meeting different guys who maybe went Division I or Division II, but didn’t quite make it to that next level. So we started the Indiana Lyons which gives plenty of young men a second and third chance to fulfill those dreams.”
Another principle the Browns have been sure to instill within this franchise is the importance of family. Tyrone and Deborah have worked together as partners for many years, and their bond has only strengthened through the Lyons.
“It has been a privilege to serve with my wife,” Tyrone said. “I would have no other partner but her because we feed off of one another, we challenge one another, we motivate one another. She is the community for me and she is the partnership that helps drive this process.
“It has meant the world to me to work alongside my wife as a true partner and to see her dreams and visions just as well as mine. Being able to be in a small community has really helped us to understand that family is so important. That’s what the Lyons are, it’s based around family. The more we come together as one, the more the community comes together as a whole.”
The core values the Browns have helped instill in this franchise have already paid off in the team’s short existence. A playoff team in each of its first three seasons, Indiana has seen plenty of success thus far.
“We have improved all three years,” Tyrone noted. “Being able to become North Central Division champs and win a playoff game was a gradual improvement. Getting to the final eight was a great encouragement and it encourages others to want to look at what the Lyons are doing.”
That success has come from a good amount of high-level talent that the Lyons and the ABA have seen as a whole recently. As the league continues to grow, Tyrone believes the players in it will continue to get more and more recognition.
“I’m surprised a lot of these young men have not made it into the NBA,” he said. “This is an untapped league where there is talent in practically any city you go into. I think as the ABA continues to grow, more of the attention will come to it and the talent that’s here.”
The Lyons will return a lot of the same talent in the upcoming season. However, this year they will begin the journey with a new head coach: Jamarr Kegler.
“Jamarr was my assistant coach last year and he brings a wealth of knowledge and wealth of talent,” Tyrone said. “Being able to teach young men the game of basketball and the brotherhood of basketball is uplifting. Being able to promote Jamarr to head coach has really been a blessing and an honor.”
Like Tyrone, Kegler has been around basketball the majority of his life. He graduated from University High School of Indiana in 2005 where he won a state championship. Kegler was poised for a strong college career — following the footsteps of his father who also played collegiately. Although injuries would hamper the remainder of his playing career, Kegler found an even greater passion for the game through a different aspect.
“I got really into coaching and I really enjoyed it,” Kegler said. “It was a different take on the game for me and I really enjoy working with young people and trying to help them understand the mindset of basketball, how to be great and how these things also apply to your life. I really developed more passion for working with young people and working with others to help them be their best selves than I did playing myself.”
Kegler began coaching on the AAU circuit, and has since coached high school ball at Covenant Christian in Indianapolis. Last year, Kegler was also introduced to what the Indiana Lyons had to offer.
“I was doing a training session and I met several young men who played for the Lyons,” Kegler explained. “That’s kind of how I got introduced to the team. I knew the coach was looking for help so I offered my services in any way for whatever they needed. That was my opportunity and I was able to prove myself to Coach Tyrone by being there, being reliable and giving him assistance wherever it was needed.”
After a year as an assistant, Kegler now has the chance to take over as head coach of this budding franchise.
“I’m excited about it, it’s a new challenge for me,” he said. “The majority of my experience has been with high school kids. Last year, getting to know the guys and knowing their goals and aspirations, now I get the opportunity to have even more of an effect on their well-being on the court and off the court. I really look forward to helping guys get to whatever goals they have set.
“I’m looking forward to the opportunity to build upon the success we had last year.”
That success was made possible by plenty of emerging talents on the Lyons’ roster. Gerald Campbell is one of the stars for the Lyons, averaging a team-high 28.3 points per game last season. He is joined by fellow ABA All-Star Kendric Lee, who is another solid scorer with strong court vision, averaging nearly seven assists per contest in 2020-21.
Kegler also expects plenty of guys such as Dillon Ware, Alex Brown and Mike Pugh to develop as big contributors once again this season.
“I’m looking forward to getting the ball moving a little more, so I think Kendrick and Cam [Campbell] are going to have great seasons. I really think that we have several guys that can impact the game in so many ways that it’s going to be tough to key in on guys and slow down the team.”
While what happens on the court is important, Kegler hopes he can also impact his guys off the court, continuing the culture built by Tyrone and others so far within this franchise
“My biggest goal is to teach my guys to be great teammates,” Kegler said. “I’m really looking forward to setting a culture in which everyone involved, whether you are watching the team or playing for the team, you see the positive impact on the court and off the court. Focusing on being great teammates will translate into great wins and great success throughout the season. Last year we made the final eight, now our goal is to go even further than that.”
With a roster that is poised to make it even further in the playoffs this season, Kegler encourages the local community to come out and support the team.
“If you love basketball, it’s exciting,” Kegler added. “The talent level is pretty solid; there’s so much talent from around the country in the ABA. The Lyons have one of the better places to come out and play, so fans can really get a good view of things and really be loud and cheer us on. I’m looking forward to their support and having them there to help the Lyons Den be a loud happening place where everyone wants to come and be a part of what’s happening.”
In any sport at any level, the thing that creates the most engagement is winning. The Lyons are already doing just that, but they are ready for more come the new season.
“Once you become a winner at any level, it drives you for the next opportunity,” Tyrone concluded. “We lost in the final eight, but our guys are hungry. They’re coming back in shape, they’re coming back motivated, they’re coming back encouraged, because they left something on the table which was the ABA championship.
“It’s going to be a different mindset for the fans as well as the organization. We expect to win. We’re looking to be champions.”
