Friendship takes center court for 'The Monday Night Warriors"

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Every Monday night for the past 48 years, this East Bay-based basketball team celebrates friendship on the court.

They call themselves the 'The Monday Night Warriors."

"Every Monday night for the last 48 years, I've been playing basketball with a group of Berkeley and Oakland guys," said Bob Houghteling, the Co-Founder of The Monday Night Warriors. "Our average age is 76."

He added, "I first met the original members at a bar in Berkeley where I was tending. And the group has changed over the years, but we still have three of the original guys."

They shoot hoops at a junior high school gym from 6:00pm-7:30pm every Monday night. It's all about friendship and building community connection.

"I had grown up going to my dad's basketball game, this weekly game with a group of guys that had been friends for a long time," expressed Nate Houghteling, a filmmaker and Bob's son.

Nate added, "And then fast forward 30 years later, and I realized that this game has been going on for nearly 50 years, and it's just so rare to have friendships last that long."

Inspired by his dad's team, Nate created a short film about the group called "Every Monday Night."

"It was amazing to kind of chart my dad's course from the 1970s when he showed up in California and didn't really have a group and was kind of on his own to now where, you know, he's...woven into this fabric that really includes these guys," said Nate.

"This was a wonderful gift of love from Nate. I know to me, but to all my friends," stated Bob.

Learn more and watch the full film here.