Every Tuesday night and Sunday morning at Mount Royal Academy, 50-year-olds Jason Bassi and Robert Zielinski play pick-up basketball with a group of friends.
From the Sunapee Catholic school’s parking lot, up the hill from the main road, only the wind and birds would be heard if it weren’t for the faint echo of the sound of basketball bouncing on the courts from inside the gym.
The unassuming group of players looked no different than any other adult league playing at their local YMCA. Besides their clear skill and zest for the game, Bassi and Zielinski give off very few clues that they just played in a national basketball competition just a few weeks back.
The pair was accompanied by two friends, Brett Mirliani and Paul Kang, taking on the best over-50 basketball players in the country.
“When we first started doing this, Paul Kang and myself, we were in our 40s, late 40s, I said, ‘Paul, we’re still playing basketball. There’s this thing called the Senior Olympics, we should really think about it,’” Bassi said.
The four men traveled from their homes in New Hampshire and Massachusetts to Des Moines, Iowa, for the National Senior Games three-on-three competition.
The biennial National Senior Games is the biggest sporting event for people aged 50 to 100 and older, and in 2025, it featured over 12,000 athletes competing in more than 25 sports.
(L to R) Paul Kang, Brett Mirliani, Jason Bassi and Robert Zielinski in Des Moines. Credit: Robert Zielinski / Courtesy
Their team, “My Brothers,” or MERS for short, came in third place in Division 2, and despite not being among the top performers in the entire tournament, the trip was a success.
“We’re not medal collectors, we’re memory collectors, so the memories mean more to us than the medals, absolutely,” Zielinski said. “I didn’t even want to do this, I had no intention of doing this, and I’ll never forget the trip.”
Staying fit into your mid-fifties is one thing. Competing against former professionals and six-foot-seven paint protectors is something else entirely.
Paul Kang planned to lose weight and become as fast as possible, but when he showed up 20 pounds lighter, he was at a disadvantage against some of the big players on the court.
“One of my goals, personal goals is to go on a training regimen with weightlifting and whatnot, and gain back as much of that weight as possible, but as muscle, to have a better shot to be stronger during the games,” he said.
All four had allowed the intensity of athletic competition to fade as they aged out of their college years and other life responsibilities took up more time. The senior games reignited that spark.
Zielinski said it felt like being a professional athlete — you wake up in a hotel, stretch, have a good breakfast, warm up, travel to the venue, play and wind down with your teammates before doing it all over again the next day.
“To be competing again with a bunch of friends and guys and teammates hanging out after the games, going to dinner, just spending four days immersed with the guys and playing hoops, it’s like you never thought that would happen,” he said.
Mirliani was the only one on the team who played at the collegiate level. He was a four-year varsity player for the St. Lawrence Saints and a member of the 1,000-point club there.
Thirty years after his heyday, he got reminded of the physical pains that come with playing multiple games per day. He suffered a torn calf muscle in the semifinal match and had to sit out.
“I played ball through college, and then when it ends, there’s this, it’s almost like there’s something missing that you’ve always had, right, this outlet for your competitiveness,” Mirliani said. “There’s nothing better than going up against somebody else’s best.”
(L to R) Paul Kang, Brett Mirliani and Jason Bassi walk up the ramp of a medical center after Mirliani tore his calf muscle. Credit: Robert Zielinski / Courtesy
Though some things were different, the sportsmanship remained a constant. While competitive, the games were mainly about fun.
Interestingly, the “My Brothers” squad was the only one with names across the back of their jerseys, much to the amusement of fans who called them out from the bleachers during games.
Some other teams had larger groups of players, some had sharpshooters who could score from anywhere, and one team in the over-60 category allegedly had Michael Jordan’s workout partner.
Injuries, flight delays and getting whooped during the first stage of the tournament were only a small piece of it all. The journey was about proving they could still play basketball at a high level and enjoy it.
“The joy of being able to compete at this level, at our age group, from a game perspective, it was great to bond. And basically, there was some self-doubt for myself, as far as, ‘Could I play four straight days of basketball at my age,’” Kang said.
The four are all set on returning, but with a larger squad next time. They’ll spend some time recruiting as they travel for state tournaments and attempt to qualify again.
As Bassi, of New London, and Zielinski, of Bradford, prepared to head back into the gym at Mount Royal Academy, one thing remained certain: They were not just playing for fun anymore; pick-up basketball was their training ground for the next Senior Games competition.
Get involved
If you want to join an adult basketball league, check out your local parks and recreation schedule. Multiple leagues exist throughout the area, with drop-in times for any player of any ability to show up. Concord drop-in basketball times are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:30 a.m – 1:30 p.m at the Community Center at 39 Green Street. Fees are $3 for residents and $5 for non-residents.
