Micahya Costen
Born here in Columbus, Angela Culliver, co-founder and commissioner of A&T Sports, experienced a nomadic childhood because of her father’s military assignments. At 9, when she returned to Columbus, Culliver discovered her passion for basketball and played throughout high school. After pursuing higher education, Culliver once again came back home and dedicated her time to serving young people and the community through basketball initiatives.
“I think basketball, in general, especially with the youth, gives them an outlet. It gives them something to build on, its structure, its discipline,” she said. “So it gives you a foundation almost.”
Beginning in semi-pro basketball, Culliver joined the Tri-City Blackhawks in Phenix City, AL. When she shifted her focus to coaching her own teams and creating her own vision, Culliver’s players demonstrated their loyalty by joining her in her new venture. Establishing a new identity in Columbus, Culliver navigated the Pro Basketball Association (PBA), first as national director and eventually forming the Columbus Georgia Vipers.
Co-owners Culliver and Tasha Mahone managed multiple semi-professional basketball teams under A&T Sports. Culliver’s teams were transported and brought under the management of A&T Sports.
Originally independent, Culliver served the PBA as its national director of league operations. After moving up to commissioner, following founder Chris Terrell, Culliver integrated the PBA into A&T Sports to foster the new league’s development.
“I’ll never forget, I was telling Tasha [Mahone] — she was my assistant coach at that point — and I said ‘Hey, you know, these are my visions. I really want to take these players to a different state. I want to take them to another level,’” Culliver said. “And you have to understand that some players play at this level because they love the game. It’s a safe haven where they’re able to come and be themselves and just do what they love doing.”
A&T Sports aims to equip aspiring players with everything essential for national-level competition, including professional films, player profiles and 16-category box scores. This support ensures that scouts and agents have all necessary and justifiable information when evaluating talent.
“We make sure that everything they need, verifiable, justifiable information, is there for them. Anything that they need to go to the next level where they can go overseas and abroad, those who are G league or whatever it is that their aspirations are,” Culliver said. We teach life skills, we have life coaching and we want players to know how to become their own brand.”
Individuals must be at least 18 years old to enter the league draft. Each team operates independently as a business entity, managing its own finances and sponsorships. Additionally, every game is accompanied by play-by-play color commentary and made available on platforms like Roku TV, Amazon Fire and various other apps.
This year, the league is reverting to its original model, incorporating summer play because many of its players compete overseas. It gives them the ability to not become stagnant during the summer months. That freshness is important when scouts are looking for players.
The league is also reintroducing drafting, with selections taking place in the offseason. Players from around the world participate in the draft process.
“We’re actually kicking off the first weekend in May. And then once the season finishes, we’ll go back into our combines and our draft coming into the 2025 season,” Culliver said.
The Columbus Georgia Vipers recently clinched their second consecutive national championship in the PBA. Culliver, having stepped back from coaching to be commissioner, savored the moment as she watched her inaugural team. The team has reached five final fours, endured three finals losses, secured conference championships and finally won their first national championship. Then they went back and won again this year.
“To watch the journey of those gentlemen was just something amazing. To go from building a team and coaching a team to actually watching a team become national champions,” Culliver said. “Handing them a national championship trophy is indescribable, the joy that I felt in that … wow is all I can say.”
Culliver loves the current team and what they’ve accomplished but wanted to shout out the players who were with her from the start: Cortez Chaney, Alquan Mendenhall, Anthony Daniels, Cornelius Thomas and Marcel Hawkins.
“I have to give flowers to those players because they have been loyal to me. Varyan Moody and Darrell White didn’t finish the season this year with us for the match championship, but they were the first chance on the first championship teams,” Culliver said.
With an outlook on everyone’s success at the end of the day, Culliver feels others’ victories are her own. She’s deeply touched when former players return years later to acknowledge her impact on their lives. Looking ahead, she aims to keep evolving and hopes for ongoing support from Columbus and beyond for her vision.
“That’s what it’s about, it’s about us all winning together. And that’s what I want it to always be about,” Culliver said.
Culliver says she is grateful for and loves her job. She tries to make herself accessible, with communication being one of her top priorities. She maintains a hands-on approach with everything she’s attached to and adds her touch to express her love for the league the way she would want it to be provided to her.
“I’m blessed because I’m doing what I love. Sometimes, we’re not able to work and do the things that we love to do, but we do what we have to do,” she said. “Well, I’m blessed that God has finally put me in a position in life where my life has come full circle and the nurturer that I am, I’m able to utilize that.”
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