Lamont Sanders Says Success Means More When You Can Give Back: Inside His Mission With Bear Tag Entertainment

For Lamont Sanders, success isn't simply measured by records sold, chart positions or the number of celebrities who show up to an event. Standing inside Independence High School in Charlotte during the 2026 Stellar Celebrity Basketball Game, Sanders offered a much deeper definition of what success means to him.

"How can I help my community? How can I give back?" Sanders said during an interview at this year's event.

That philosophy has become a major part of the identity of Bear Tag Entertainment, the company Sanders leads alongside his wife, Marie Sanders. The Bear Tag Celebrity Basketball Game was created by the couple as a way to combine their passions for music, sports, community and mental-health advocacy. What began as an entertainment experience connected to Stellar Awards weekend has developed into a platform designed to bring people together while creating space for conversations that extend far beyond the basketball court.

And Sanders is clear about one thing: the game is bigger than basketball.

"It's Okay to Not Be Okay"

One of the most powerful moments of Sanders' conversation came when he discussed why mental health is such an important part of the event.

"I want them to understand that it takes all of us," Sanders explained. "And as far as mental health is concerned, it's okay to not be okay."

For Sanders, that message isn't simply something written into an event description. It's something he has experienced personally.

The gospel artist and entertainment executive openly shared that he sought professional help himself, including therapy and anger-management classes—something he credits with changing his life.

"I went to anger management, which changed my life." Sanders said.

That transparency is significant, particularly because Sanders believes men—especially men within the Black community—can sometimes feel pressure to suppress what they're experiencing rather than ask for help.

"We feel like we gotta be tough," he said.

His message is straightforward: needing help isn't a weakness.

"It's nothing wrong with fixing when something is wrong," Sanders explained.

That perspective gives the Bear Tag Celebrity Basketball Game an entirely different purpose. The lights, celebrities, music and competition may bring people into the building, but the underlying goal is to create an environment where people can recognize that their mental and emotional well-being matters.

Sanders' ability to build Bear Tag Entertainment comes from an entertainment career that predates the basketball game.

Before becoming known as a chart-topping gospel artist and entertainment executive, Sanders entered the music business as an R&B artist and secured a record deal with Interscope Records. He eventually returned to his gospel roots, creating a career that has included songwriting, musicianship, performing and entrepreneurship.

His single "He Kept Me" became a defining moment in that journey. The song reached No. 1 on Billboard's Gospel Airplay chart in 2022 and later appeared at No. 4 on Billboard's 2022 Year-End Gospel Airplay Songs chart.

But Sanders' transition from artist to entertainment executive isn't about walking away from music. It's about expanding his ability to create opportunities and impact people.

His philosophy is rooted in the idea that whatever success a person achieves should ultimately create a way to help somebody else.

"Your job is just as important as my job," Sanders said during the interview, acknowledging the role media and storytellers play in helping organizations like Bear Tag spread their message.

That comment speaks to the larger ecosystem Sanders is trying to build—one where artists, athletes, media, businesses and community leaders all have a role to play.

When asked what his wife Marie has brought to Bear Tag Entertainment that people may not see from the outside, Sanders didn't hesitate.

"My wife is my backbone," he said.

Sanders described Marie as his rock, someone who supports and nurtures him and speaks life into him. He credited her with helping shape the mental-health component of the basketball game, explaining that the idea came from her belief that bringing people together through sports, food and music creates an environment where important conversations can happen naturally.

Bear Tag's own description of the Celebrity Basketball Game identifies both Lamont and Marie Sanders as the people behind the event's creation.

For Sanders, however, Marie's contribution extends far beyond business.

"She's my rock," he said.

That partnership may be one of the most important pieces of the Bear Tag story. The basketball game isn't simply an event Sanders produces; it is a reflection of a shared vision between husband and wife.

The 2026 Stellar Celebrity Basketball Game brought that vision back to Charlotte on August 13 at Independence High School, with Bear Tag Entertainment organizing the event.

For fans, it was an opportunity to see familiar faces from the worlds of gospel, sports and entertainment compete on the court.

For Sanders, however, seeing the crowd come together represented something much bigger.

"It lets me know, no matter what we're going through, that people care," he said.

That may ultimately be the most important message behind Bear Tag.

People care.

People are willing to show up.

People are willing to talk.

And people don't have to go through difficult seasons alone.

The Celebrity Basketball Game gives Sanders and Marie a unique platform to communicate that message without turning the experience into a lecture. The entertainment gets people through the doors. The basketball gives them something to rally around. The community creates the atmosphere.

And then comes the conversation.

For Lamont Sanders, that's where the real victory is.

Because the biggest win of the night may not have been determined by the final score.

It may have been the person sitting in the stands who heard Sanders say, "It's okay to not be okay," and finally realized that asking for help doesn't make them weak.

It makes them human.

And for Sanders, that's exactly what success is supposed to look like—using what you've been given to help somebody else.