Former Buck Larry Sanders partners with local business for community initiative

MILWAUKEE - Former Milwaukee Bucks center Larry Sanders returned to Milwaukee to give back the support he received during and after his playing career.

"I felt a lot of support here when I played, when I left, and wanted to get the things that I've gathered and return it to the city, show my appreciation for the support they've given me," Sanders said.

Sanders' first initiative was a community collaboration event with Broke Life clothing in downtown. The event wrapped up Saturday evening, but Sanders said his return was not just for the weekend, hoping it marks the beginning of a long-term commitment to Milwaukee-area communities.

"I connected with the people in Milwaukee, right away," Sanders said. "Like right away. It was like another home for me right away. I miss it, I've always missed it since I left it."

Sanders, who runs his personal brand Her Loss, has been in the clothing business since leaving the NBA. He partnered with Josh Jones, owner of Broke Life, for a brand collaboration.

Beyond apparel, Sanders emphasized his mission to champion mental health advocacy and assist people through life transitions.

"The conversation started and it's freed people," Sanders said. "It's one- torn stigmas down. So, it allows people to actually express themselves and talk about what they've gone through. Now that's opening the door for conversation, now that's starting the community."

"I think the problem with why it was so hard to talk about mental health before was because the stigma created isolation and that is the worst thing for a human," Sanders said. "We fear that more than anything, we do not want to be alone."

Sanders said he aims to plant seeds, bring resources to the area and connect deeply with local residents.

Local business owners also highlighted the importance of community support during the event.

"We really have to stay strong as a community because that's all we got here, we don't really got a lot of outside foot traffic from other places," jeweler Garrison Mulberry said. "We really need to build ourselves up."

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