About JEL Basketball
At JEL Basketball Foundation, we empower NYC youth through basketball and mentorship, fostering growth, teamwork, and community spirit.
JEL stands for Jump of Joy, Each One Teaches One, and Liberty Street Kids — three impactful foundations united in New York City.
We are a basketball-centered youth empowerment program that fosters leadership, discipline, teamwork, and personal growth.
Through sport, we offer NYC’s kids a path to a brighter future in a safe, inclusive environment.
Born in Harlem to Panamanian parents, Lionel Lucas built his path through basketball, service, and mentorship. After playing college basketball at St. John’s Fisher and professionally in France, he served in the U.S. Army Reserves and the NYPD, where he also led the police basketball team to championships.
In 2003, he founded Liberty Street Kids, a youth program using basketball to teach discipline, education, and life skills. Now expanding as Liberty Street Ballers in the Bronx and Panama, Lionel’s mission is to inspire young athletes to work hard, stay focused, and succeed—on and off the court.
Born and raised in the South Bronx. My basketball journey took me from Walton High School to Sullivan CC and Dominican College. My love for the game fuels my mission: to develop skills, teach discipline, and build strong, positive relationships with our youth, both on and off the court.
I grew up in Harlem’s St. Nicholas Projects in the 1960s, where basketball became my safe haven and my foundation. The game taught me discipline, focus, and resilience. From junior high and high school leagues across NYC to AAU, the Sports Foundation, and Each One Teach One, basketball opened doors and shaped the person I became.
I honed my game on legendary courts like Rucker Park, The Cage on West 4th Street, and 138th & Lenox—courts that became classrooms and mentors in their own right.
Today, my purpose is rooted in giving back. I’m committed to empowering young people and building stronger communities through mentorship, leadership, and the universal language of basketball. My mission is to help the next generation recognize their potential—on the court and far beyond it.
Our Founders
Meet the visionary minds behind JEL Basketball, whose passion and dedication laid the foundation for our success.
Founder’s Journey
Inspiring Stories
Discover the remarkable journeys of our co-founders and their commitment to basketball.
Our Mission
At the JEL Basketball Foundation, we empower NYC kids through basketball and mentorship, fostering growth and community spirit. Empowering youth through sports.
Our Vision
Inspiring through mentorship.
JEL Foundation
Established 2025