Zach Cleveland’s Foundation Helped Him Lead the Liberty Flames

, who are both finding success on the world stage. For O’Fallon native Zach Cleveland , he’s doing his part to continue Illinois’ illustrious tradition. A Cleveland Family Tradition Born in the spring of 2004 to two professional basketball players, Zach Cleveland was surrounded by the game from literally day one.

A young Zach Cleveland playing with his very first basketball hoop A couple of years later, his parents welcomed his little brother into the world, giving the loving parents a trio of hoopers to raise. Zach (middle), his older sister (left), and his younger brother (right) Zach began playing outside with his little brother, running one-on-one or playing a game of horse. The Clevelands grew accustomed to the sound of the leather sphere clanking against the rim and bouncing on the rugged concrete.

It was the perfect scenario for Zach to practice his new obsession. His mother noticed the spark in his eyes when he talked about the game, so she decided to light a fire under him, changing the trajectory of her son’s life forever. Humble Beginnings On the Hardwood Containing their excitement was impossible, so the Clevelands built a court in their backyard, and just like that, it was on.

T he new fixation was old to Zach’s parents, so his mother would take him under her wing. “My mom coached basketball so I was always around it, and I think the more and more basketball that I watched, whether it was NBA, college, high school, that really helped me kind of navigate those issues,” Cleveland said. “I was around it all the time, so I think that really helped me navigate the process in the game.