The co-founder of Between the Lines, a prison basketball program aimed at rehabilitation, Lamont ‘Tory’ Stapleton has always kept the game of basketball close. An Athletic Hall of Fame member at Gill St. Bernard’s School in New Jersey, Stapleton played for Southern New Hampshire University and finished with over 1,300 career points.
A self-described “dot connector,” the Rahway, New Jersey native has forged friendships with many of the NBA’s current stars. He started his first social clothing venture, I’m Just Different, as a way to promote understanding of differences. Now, with Between the Lines, the Los Angeles-based Stapleton hopes to bridge an even greater gap — and offer tools for inmates to reintegrate into their communities upon release.

Photos of Lamont Stapleton from Instagram (@lamont_tory). This episode has been condensed for clarity.