01 Feb 2024 Central Arkansas team wins Gold at National Senior Games two years in a row

By David Grimes

Rob Greene’s basketball career began in the first grade and continues today, almost half a century later. Born and raised in Detroit, Mich., he was also an outstanding baseball player. Greene now lives and works in Conway, where he and his wife of 25 years, Margaret, are parents to three sons.

In 1987, Greene enrolled at North Texas State University (now the University of North Texas) to play basketball. He transferred to Coffeyville Community College in Kansas before ending up at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

He played two years at UALR and was the Trojans’ third leading scorer as a senior, with 12.6 points per game during the 1991-92 season.

After college, Greene continued his basketball career, playing professionally in the United States and in Mexico for several years.  

Today, at age 54, he continues to compete in leagues around Central Arkansas when he can. When asked why he still plays, Greene replied, “Basketball is the best way for me to stay active and hang out with friends. It’s my stress relief, and I get competition daily.”

Greene plays for the Arkansas Big Dogs, who practice and play for enjoyment and exercise, but their hard work and dedication have led them to tremendous success on the national level. In fact, the Big Dogs are two-time defending national champions at the Senior Olympics.

Officially known as the National Senior Games, athletes from all over the country gather every other year to compete in a variety of individual and team sports. COVID-19 delayed the 2021 Games by a year, but Greene and the Big Dogs won the gold medal in the 50-54 age group in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in 2022.

Games are half-court, 3-on-3, consisting of two 15-minute halves with a running clock. In one game, the Big Dogs scored an astonishing 107 points.

“It was a great feeling to win at our age,” Greene said. “Especially after the dust settled and we were eating pizza together as a team and it hit us that we won a Gold Medal and National Championship and were the best in the U.S.”

In July of 2023, they defended their national championship at the Senior Games in Pittsburgh, Penn. Greene’s teammates are all from Central Arkansas and include Paris Simmons, Bob Sahr, Steven Green, James Scogins and Greg “Tulu” Vaughn.

Greene and his Big Dog brothers hope to make it a three-peat at the next National Games in July of 2025 in Des Moines, Iowa.