In December 2012 Paul Branham had a surprise for his dad. As the pilot of the Boilermaker Special, he was on the crew responsible for driving it to the Heart of Dallas Bowl. Only a select few members of the Reamer Club get to drive the Special, and December 30, 2012 Paul went past the Cotton Bowl in Dallas to Keller, the northern suburb of Fort Worth where he grew up. He had a surprise for his dad, Jim: He was driving Purdue's mascot up the hill and into the driveway of his childhood home.

"I got to drive the train into the driveway where I grew up, and park it next to the basketball court where I learned to play," said Paul. "I swear my dad could’ve died a happy man that day."

The father and son have forged a bond through Purdue. Like so many others, Purdue University is a generational thing in the Branham family. Jim Branham is a 1977 graduate of Purdue’s School of Pharmacy and the current President of Reindeer Shuttle, which provides students and Lafayette residents easy shuttle access to both Indianapolis and O’Hare airports. His son Paul is a graduate of Purdue with both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Nuclear Engineering. He now works for Purdue as an Industry Business Development Director.

The Branham family home in Keller, Texas is an oasis of Boiler fandom far from West Lafayette. It stands out if you look for it on Google Earth because it has a 66x48 basketball court with "Purdue Boilermakers" on it in the back yard. "My dad coached my sisters and I to play basketball on that court, and although I was never that good, I grew to love the sport," said Paul.

It is not a surprise that Jim has that court in his back yard. His love for the Purdue basketball program goes back more than 50 years. His connection to the program is almost as old as Mackey Arena itself. He was a student manager for the basketball team under coach Fred Schaus from 1972 to 1975.

During his time at Purdue things were very different with the program. Those were the days when Purdue still had a freshmen team because the NCAA did not allow freshmen to play. He had to start as a manager for that freshman team, sweating upstairs in Lambert Fieldhouse during the summer because it lacked air conditioning. Game days were twice as long, as he had to work the freshman game before the varsity.

Over time, that paid off. He received a letter jacket that allowed him to be a member of the Varsity P Club and it built a close connection to the program that carries over to this day.

Each of those championships hold a special place in the hearts of Purdue fans. Many have been around for generations, as the first goes all the way back to 1911. If you look at the banners there is a very obvious divide. The gap between 1940 and the 1969 Rick Mount team serves as a great delineation of before and after. The era of 1940 and earlier belongs to the ghosts of the past, While Mount himself serves as the connection to the early days of Mackey Arena when he shows up. The 1969 and forward era is the Mackey Era, and the connections forged by families watching those teams make up the heart of Purdue fandom.

When Purdue won its 24th Big Ten Championship during the 2018-19 season there was some curiosity about the pregame “Our House” hype video that plays in Mackey Arena before the starting lineups are introduced. How soon would they get Gene Keady in the studio to amend it from 23 to 24 Big Ten championships?

The answer was known almost immediately, as within minutes of the final buzzer in Evanston, when Purdue clinched the league crown, the official Purdue basketball Twitter posted coach Keady saying “this is home to 24 Big Ten championships”.

With how quickly they were able to post this it implies that there is a cache of takes where coach Keady says 25, 26, 27, and such so they are available in future seasons as Purdue adds to its championship legacy. Multiple fans even wonder if the video will be updated for Sunday's season finale with Illinois, since the 25th championship has already been secured.

Thankfully, Jim and the Branham family are also providing a home for those championships to be in Mackey Arena. Just a few weeks ago the display case for those championships was adorned with "Presented by the Branham Family" thanks to a gift from Jim. When he made his donation he wanted to make sure that it was his family that was represented, not just him.

Jim's relationship with Purdue goes back to his parents, who were locals that were fans even though they did not attend Purdue. Jim began attending games when he was 10 years old, growing up in the days of Bob Griese, Leroy Keyes, and Rick Mount. Eventually, he and his sister both attended Purdue to continue building the family tradition.

After all that time Jim was happy to give back to the program that has given him so much joy over the years.

Those championship seasons always stand out for Purdue fans. 1979 is memorable because it came with a win over eventual national champion Michigan State. 1987 and 1988 were the Three Amigos of Everette Stephens, Todd Mitchell, and Troy Lewis. Glenn Robinson and Cuonzo Martin (along with a young Matt Painter) played large roles during the 1994-96 "3-Pete". Eventually, the Baby Boilers would hang a well deserved banner in 2010, and two more were added in 2017 and 2019.

The Branhams have thoroughly enjoyed this season, particularly the surprising trophy that will be added to the trophy case. Purdue was not a preseason favorite in the conference after losing so much production from a team last season that let the 25th Big Ten Title slip through their grasp.

With Purdue clinching that 25th Big Ten championship this week it means room needs to be made in the trophy case, and Jim is happy that his family can provide a home for that legacy. He does say that if needed, he can provide some more room: