{"id":833722,"date":"2026-09-12T11:57:39","date_gmt":"2026-09-12T11:57:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/833722\/"},"modified":"2026-09-12T11:57:39","modified_gmt":"2026-09-12T11:57:39","slug":"flagrant-magazine-founder-ashtyn-butuso-is-basketballs-next-media-titan-the-lead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/833722\/","title":{"rendered":"Flagrant Magazine Founder Ashtyn Butuso Is Basketball’s Next Media Titan \u2013 The Lead"},"content":{"rendered":"

Magazines have immortalized some of basketball\u2019s best players through spectacular imagery. From SLAM<\/a> to Street & Smith\u2019s<\/a>, they\u2019ve always played an essential role in spreading the game worldwide.<\/p>\n

Some magazines have gotten lost in the shuffle of online sports media. However, that cannot be said of Ashtyn Butuso\u2019s Flagrant Magazine<\/a>, one of the most popular periodicals today, which was created from Butuso\u2019s vision and lifelong commitment to the game of basketball.<\/p>\n

I.) The City Of Trail Blazers\u00a0<\/p>\n

Butuso was raised in the suburbs of West Linn, OR. She knew early on that she wanted to do something special with her life. One of her best characteristics is her inquisitive mind; her curiosity about the world fueled her delusions of grandeur.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI did a lot of writing, journaling, guitar, but I also played soccer,\u201d said Butuso. \u201cI was also outside a lot using the Razor Scooter or playing a lot of sports as a very young child with my dad. That\u2019s where it all started for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

One hobby after another, it was only natural for a rambunctious young girl growing up in America to dive into the deep end of her crafts. It was the late 90s, and multiple sports leagues were in their heyday. The NBA was peaking, and it was an interesting time for the Portland Trail Blazers. From 1998 to 2000, Rasheed Wallace<\/a> led the Blazers to back-to-back Western Conference Finals.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to say it was the 2000 Western Conference Finals against the Lakers. My parents were very juiced for that whole series. It was a very stressful and exciting time, but we ended up losing,\u201d Butuso said. \u201cMy dad was also a big Rams fan. In 1998, I started watching them and watching the NFL. I really liked Priest Holmes and became a Chiefs fan myself, just because I wanted to do something that my parents weren\u2019t doing. My mom was also a Raiders fan, so I\u2019d say those are the highlights of my childhood.\u201d<\/p>\n

II.) For The Love Of The Game<\/p>\n

After losing their championship aura, the notorious \u2018Jail Blazers\u2019 made the playoffs from 2000-03. <\/p>\n

UNTOLD: JAIL BLAZERS premieres April 14. <\/p>\n

In the early 2000s, the Portland Trail Blazers were stacked with talent\u2014and surrounded by controversy.<\/p>\n

Through firsthand stories from Rasheed Wallace, Damon Stoudamire, and Bonzi Wells, this is an unfiltered look at a team caught\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/o5c04pDQMy<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Netflix (@netflix) March 24, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Seeing her favorite team on the world stage fighting for golden glory sparked a flame in Ashtyn that grew into a raging fire.<\/p>\n

\u201cI fell in love with sports because of the highs and lows that come with it, and it was a distraction. It gave me something to root for in a world where maybe there\u2019s not a lot to root for,\u201d Butuso said. \u201cI always really enjoyed the bonding element with my family. So, I think it was a good distraction to sort of keep the family together.\u201d<\/p>\n

It wouldn\u2019t take long for Butuso to find her niche. Soccer is the world\u2019s most popular sport, and she was captivated by the global phenomenon.\u00a0The Butusos signed Ashtyn up for youth soccer, purchased a pair of cleats, and she hit the field with her new teammates. All of the kids were united by the desire for championship aspirations, but Ashtyn\u2019s end goal was something far deeper than the back of a soccer net.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I spent a lot of my childhood being insecure and feeling a little bit unseen. With soccer, I felt like I could be a part of something, and I could have all the eyes on me for a second. That was really fun,\u201d Butuso said. \u201cThere was a part of me that I think was trying to make everybody proud and happy. I think it\u2019s where I learned my drive and my discipline.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

III.) A New Kind Of Stage<\/p>\n

After acclimating to the pace of the game, she fell in love with it. For the next decade of her life, Butuso was dedicated to that black-and-white sphere. While the ball flew up and down the field, time passed with it.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Before Ashtyn knew it, her high school days were approaching, and like any other teenager, her heart began to long for something different. Athletics were essential to her self-discovery, but she wanted a different medium that could offer the same answers.<\/p>\n

She played soccer her freshman year, but it was impossible to rekindle her flame with familiarity.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the sad answer is that it was the thing that most girls go through, which is, we leave sports early on, and we don\u2019t stick to sports throughout all of high school,\u201d Butuso said. \u201cPeople are always commenting on girls\u2019 bodies, and how they should be, and how they should fit into the world. I think that\u2019s why there\u2019s such an intense drop-off in girls\u2019 sports, and I think I probably fell victim to that as well.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

With so many emotions building up in her 14-year-old heart, Ashtyn needed a way to express them all. Luckily for her, drama clubs are staples in schools across the country.<\/p>\n

Theatrics are a whole new ball game, and Ashtyn was thrilled with the thought of a new mountain to climb. She traded the lush green field for the bright lights of the auditorium, acting in a litany of productions over the next two years<\/p>\n

Time flew by yet again, but this time was different. It was time for graduation, and the real world was waiting for her.<\/p>\n

IV.) The Film Room<\/p>\n

Ashtyn shot out of a cannon alongside millions of other students around the globe in the summer of 2009. She landed about 80 miles from home at Oregon State University, and it wouldn\u2019t take long for her to get caught up in the whirlwind of freshman year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

There weren\u2019t many opportunities for first-year students trying to break into the sports industry, so she found herself waiting around for a while. With one school year in the hole, Ashtyn had to move fast. Classroom connections weren\u2019t cutting it, so she got creative in her on-campus job search.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThey had posted on Craigslist to work in the coach\u2019s film room, so I was editing their footage and shooting their highlights. Every Friday, the team would watch a highlight reel from the last week to get ready for the Saturday game,\u201d Butuso said. \u201cI would make that highlight reel for them, and then I would also be working on practice footage and game footage for the coaches to watch in their meetings.\u201d<\/p>\n

Butuso cut up clips with constant deadlines breathing down her neck. Sacrifices felt effortless when it came to her dream, and she was rewarded with the tools to make it a reality.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter doing that for a little bit, traveling with the team, going to bowl games, doing all those fun things, I kind of realized that I could foray that into a career in TV,\u201d Butuso said. \u201cRather than doing the school news, since I didn\u2019t have time because I had two other jobs in college as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

V.) Sports Clips & Coffee Cups\u00a0<\/p>\n

Butuso was in the right place at the right time. On July 1, 2011, the NCAA announced that the University of Colorado and the University of Utah would leave the Big-12 for the Pac-10.<\/p>\n

The 2011-12 season saw the Oregon State Beavers seeking redemption. They finished the prior season 3-10, so Butuso\u2019s arrival was timely when they finished 9-4 in 2012. She shined, slicing and dicing their highlights for Beavers fans far and wide. Her skill set created a mutually beneficial relationship with the athletics department.\u00a0<\/p>\n

They appreciated her services, and their film room was a place of refuge. It calmed her nerves after hard nights of working as a barista and a jeweler to keep the lights on in her apartment.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI truly was working 60-hour weeks in college. I was a barista at a cafe, and I worked at Jared Jeweler. It taught me, maybe even to a fault, that you have to work as hard as you can,\u201d Butuso said. \u201cIf you say yes to every opportunity, if you totally bust your ass, even for very little money, good things will come to you. The things you want will come to you. They might look a little bit different, but you can really make anything out of whatever you\u2019ve got.\u201d<\/p>\n

VI.) Pac-12 Productions<\/p>\n

Juggling sports and classes became second nature for Ashtyn. Job after job, an innocent pursuit of education became a test of patience and endurance. One pro of such a busy schedule was how quickly two years flew by.<\/p>\n

Commencement was on the horizon in the spring of 2013, and her time covering the Pac-12 created an affinity for the powerhouse conference. Giving up the familiarity for another gig didn\u2019t seem worth it, so she reached out to the Pac-12 directly.<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore I graduated, I was just like, \u2018hey, if you ever need a video editor, let me know\u2019 to their producer, and they were like, \u2018yeah, absolutely, let us know when you move down here, and you can work here.\u2019 So, that\u2019s how I ended up getting into TV.\u201d<\/p>\n

They kept their promise, and she was hired shortly after crossing the stage at graduation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

VII.) Butuso\u2019s Bon Voyage<\/p>\n

One year later, in 2014, she moved to San Francisco and covered the 12-team conference at the professional level. Butuso\u2019s talent behind the camera was apparent from the start. By 2015, she was promoted to one of the head producers on staff. After grinding for two more years, she accepted a role at Relish Media Group<\/a> in 2017.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Her name bloomed with every new opportunity. Although the experience she gained was valuable for her career, the tools of the trade came with a price.<\/p>\n

\u201cI kind of learned that you\u2019re never gonna make a ton of money. Your hours are gonna be kinda crazy, but it\u2019s very fulfilling. You will wear so many hats you\u2019ll know how to do so many things,\u201d Butuso said. \u201cEven now, I have Flagrant Magazine, and I\u2019m a writer. But I gained so many other skills that are soft skills, but also hard skills, like editing, producing, shooting, lighting \u2014 all of those things.\u201d<\/p>\n

Butuso\u2019s hat rack was completely overrun by 2018, and her experience working for others inspired Ashtyn to invent her own platform. By September of 2018, Butuso traded her warm life in the Bay Area for a new job opportunity in Denver, CO.<\/p>\n

VIII.) Finding Flagrant Magazine<\/p>\n

The Oregon native wasn\u2019t used to the cons of a cold tundra, but she still made the most of it. She was the content manager and producer for the marketing agency Motive<\/a>. It was a good place to be, but Butuso was far from satisfied with yet another job.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was living in Denver and feeling a little bit unchallenged in my work. I was working at this ad agency and was out of sports for the first time. And I wanted to get back into them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her patience ran thin by March of 2019, but her frustration would prove to be a blessing in disguise. Butuso\u2019s brainstorming flooded her mind with ideas, and she turned to her favorite soccer magazine for more inspiration.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI was looking through this soccer magazine called SEASON Zine<\/a>. It\u2019s a British soccer magazine, and it was sort of my first understanding that magazines could still exist. And I just felt like basketball should have that,\u201d Butuso said. \u201cBecause basketball is so about the culture, there\u2019s so much beauty and art. I wondered if I could get this going for basketball. I hit up a couple people that I\u2019d known throughout different parts of my life, and asked them to take on different roles, and they said yes\u201d<\/p>\n

IX.) The A-Team<\/p>\n

Butuso got to work assembling her rendition of the Avengers like a Marvel<\/a> comic book.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur designer, Alex Haigh, I had known her through Blazer\u2019s Twitter because she had a sort of an in-person community called Rip Twitty. They did a bunch of events, but I knew she was designing the posters for them and whatnot. So, I reached out to her to be the designer, and to my friend Bethany Marie Ito<\/a>, who became our creative director. I met her randomly at a bar in San Francisco, and we hit it off. We both loved basketball, and she has such an eye for imagery and design.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Some CEOs base their qualifications on an employee\u2019s resume, but Ashtyn was different; she wanted true friends in the workplace.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd then Brazilia Morales<\/a>, I also met in the Bay. She worked with me at the Relish. Originally, we thought we were gonna have two creative directors, and so she signed on as that, but then became the business director when we kind of realized that\u2019s where the need was,\u201d Butuso said. \u201cSo she\u2019s been doing all the QuickBooks and all the taxes and all the things that I have no idea how to do, and payroll and all these things that are a godsend. So she\u2019s been great at that, but she\u2019s also very creative, so we all help out with everything in between. We\u2019re all doing everything.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

All of the ladies embraced the grind, fighting their way through the COVID-19 Pandemic. Since people were indoors and reading more than ever, 2020 was somewhat beneficial.<\/p>\n

It laid the foundation for Flagrant Magazine, earning hundreds of new readers daily. Now, six years later, the basketball magazine has established a devoted fanbase that will only grow over time.<\/p>\n

X.) Biodegradable Basketball<\/p>\n

Basketball will never die. The sport has become entrenched in pop culture, and the Flagrant Magazine staff ensures news coverage evolves.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Their volumes continue to sell worldwide, and readers are wearing their merchandise<\/a> in the streets. While the world gives to them, they also give back.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter a few years, we realized we should be doing merch, so we work with a supplier in Los Angeles that does recycled garments, biodegradable garments, all these sustainable garments,\u201d Butuso said. \u201cThat\u2019s really important to us because we want it to be sustainable. Bethany designs all of that, for the most part, because she has a bunch of suppliers.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Butuso\u2019s staff\u00a0are united by their affinity for their environment, and it\u2019s become part of their brand\u2019s identity.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThree of the four founders are vegan, love animals, and I would say we\u2019re all very eco-conscious. It\u2019s just something that really matters to us,\u201d Butuso said. \u201cWe just want to be very considerate about the way we move through the world. I think that shows itself in other ways in the magazine.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s clear that this is much more than another basketball digest. They\u2019re using their platform to be a voice for the voiceless.<\/p>\n

\"FlagrantFlagrant Magazine founders Brazilia Morales, Bethany Marie Ito, Ashtyn Butuso and Alex Haigh<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re telling stories about trans people. People whose stories haven\u2019t been told, or Palestinians, and trying to get causes going for them and donate to them,\u201d Butuso said. \u201cAnd so we\u2019re always focused on the little guy, or the eco-friendly choice. The thing is that we\u2019re gonna prove we can make something amazing, but we can also do it while caring about other people and uplifting them.\u201d<\/p>\n

XI.) The Future Of Flagrant\u00a0<\/p>\n

The ladies have made so much progress in seven years, and Ashtyn is thrilled about what\u2019s to come.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur ultimate goal is nothing major in terms of insights or sales; We just want people to realize they can enjoy something without scrolling. It\u2019s really important to us that there\u2019s a tangible piece of art to consume in a much more thoughtful way, and take the time with it that is required,\u201d Butuso said. \u201cI think if we can get people off of their phones, and more into flipping pages, smelling pages, that\u2019s what it\u2019s all about.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now that Ashtyn Butuso has carved out a life in basketball for herself, Antwane asked, \u201cSo now what is your ultimate goal for yourself?\u201d to which she replied:<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a question I\u2019ve been asking myself a lot. I don\u2019t know the answer, and I want to know the answer. I\u2019ve sort of been feeling existential about that, because I\u2019m not totally sure, but I think the ultimate goal is still the same,\u201d Butuso said. \u201cI still want to tell sports stories, maybe on TV, and have a connection with viewers and followers. The community of sports is sort of slipping through our fingers, and I wanna move people with our stories\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n