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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; On Saturday and Sunday evenings, depending on the schedule, hundreds of fans make their way to GAR Memorial High School to watch ABA basketball.</p><p>Particularly, the NEPA Stars and Stripes.</p><p>The NEPA Stars and Stripes was founded this season by former GAR standout Isiah Walker (Class of 2000). Walker brought the franchise to Wilkes-Barre in August of 2017.</p><p>Since then, the Stars and Stripes have made an impact not only on the court, but most importantly, in the community.</p><p>The Stars and Stripes play in the 12-team Chesapeake Division of the ABA, a semi-pro basketball league which also includes teams from neighboring Scranton, Lehigh Valley and Reading.</p><p>And Walker has been a fixture in the community.</p><p>Aside from owning, coaching and playing for the NEPA Stars and Stripes, he is also the GAR freshman girl&#8217;s basketball coach. He led the Grenadiers to a 17-0 season.</p><p>&#8220;When I had the opportunity to bring an ABA team to Wilkes-Barre, I jumped on it,&#8221; Walker said. &#8220;It was like a mystery full of excitement, full of anxiety, full of hope and knowing my community. I&#8217;m born and raised in Wilkes-Barre, this was something the community needed to get kids off the street on Saturdays and Sundays.&#8221;</p><p>To help keep kids from staying out of trouble, Walker says a lot of planning goes into NEPA Stars and Stripes-sponsored community events.</p><p>&#8220;I live one block up. I deal with all their problems, their downfalls. I understand what they are going through,&#8221; Walker said. &#8220;If I can help give a vehicle or engine for people to come out, I&#8217;m certainly going to do it. Seeing the positive reaction from the community makes it all worth it.&#8221;</p><p>Walker couldn&#8217;t stress enough that there is no D.A.R.E program in the Wilkes-Barre Area School District.</p><p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t know why we don&#8217;t have one,&#8221; Walker said. &#8220;If these kids don&#8217;t have something to do, they are going to get involved with drugs. How do they know about drugs if they are not being schooled the proper way? I lost one of my best friends from an overdose in 2000. It&#8217;s a different kind of drug that is killing us today.&#8221;</p><p>Aside from helping out in the community, the NEPA Stars and Stripes also allow older players the opportunity to still play competitive basketball.</p><p>Walker is joined by fellow GAR (Class of &#8216;04) alum Chris Shovlin on the NEPA Stars and Stripes.</p><p>&#8220;Being back in my home gym, it&#8217;s awesome to have friends, family and students come out and see us,&#8221; Shovlin said. &#8220;It&#8217;s great for my sons to see me compete at a high level. It&#8217;s fun and exciting and I&#8217;m glad they enjoy it.&#8221;</p><p>Helping out in the community is important to Shovlin.</p><p>&#8220;To get out here and hold camps for the underage kids in the area, it&#8217;s great,&#8221; Shovlin said. &#8220;For some kids, this might be the closest they get to see and NBA game. I think it&#8217;s something different for the area. I hope it provides some insight of what the NBA is like.&#8221;</p><p>It may only be the foundation for the future.</p><p>&#8220;In terms of growth for next season and for years to come, I hope this past season gave us more exposure to businesses,&#8221; Walker said. &#8220;We had about 30 sponsors this season. We hope businesses will know who we are and that they realize we are doing a great thing for the community.&#8221;</p><p>The evidence is in the crowds coming out.</p><p>&#8220;As long as we keep packing the stands and people are enjoying themselves, I see us continuing to grow,&#8221; Shovlin said.</p><p>The NEPA Stars and Stripes have hosted over 10 free youth basketball clinics, served at the CEO Turkey Give Back, launched an anti-bullying campaign and staged a rally on the opioid epidemic.</p><p>And they are not done yet.</p><p>Walker plans on running a sports festival in Kirby Park in June, with an attendance goal of over 50,000.</p><p>&#8220;At the end of the day,&#8221; Walker said, &#8220;we are giving the community something different.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">NEPA Stars &amp; Stripes owner, coach and player Isaiah Walker addresses the crowd about bullying before their ABA basketball game at GAR High School in Wilkes-Barre. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/web1_TTL011518Hoops_3toned.jpg</photo0><caption0>NEPA Stars &amp; Stripes owner, coach and player Isaiah Walker addresses the crowd about bullying before their ABA basketball game at GAR High School in Wilkes-Barre. </caption0><photoCredit0>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Dan Stokes</p><p>For Times Leader</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Times Leader sports at 570-829-7143 or on Twitter @ TLSports</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Walker, Stars and Stripes impacting GAR community