ATLANTA –Having basketball luminaries Dominique Wilkins and Kevin Willis, two pillars of proud Atlanta Hawks lore, in attendance for the brand new courts added panache to an already momentous occasion. Willis even perfected his rim-rattling dunks and low-post moves on the old court decades ago.
Yet the real heroes of the brand new Atlanta Hawks basketball courts that decorate Grant Park and the at least a foot shorter the hardwood heavyweights Wilkins and Willis. Mayor Kasim Reed, in collaboration with Atlanta Hawks CEO Steve Koonin, Councilwoman Carla Smith and Amy Phuong of Parks and Recreation, christened two new spectacular basketball courts
Funded by the Atlanta Hawks Foundation, the outdoor basketball court features the team’s new red, black and neon green uniform colors, and is available for Center of Hope youth participants and local residents to enjoy. The basketball court is the third renovation project completed this year by the foundation in collaboration with DPR.
“The Atlanta Hawks are an exemplary community partner in helping ensure that ourCenters of Hope have the necessary tools to better serve Atlanta’s young people,” said Mayor Kasim Reed. “Facilities such as this new basketball court keep our young people involved in positive, healthy activities and ensure a better future for them. I’m certain that Center of Hope participants and Atlanta residents will utilize this basketball court for years to come with great pride.”
“Today’s celebration was the culmination of a terrific year in our ongoing partnership with the Atlanta Hawks,” said DPR Commissioner Amy Phuong. “Because of this investment at Grant Park and the work the Atlanta Hawks have done in our other facilities and parks, we are able to provide communities with high quality assets that enhance neighborhoods and encourage residents to get out, get social and get active.”
Earlier this year the Atlanta Hawks Foundation partnered with DPR on a teen room makeover at the Center of Hope at Pittman Park. The Hawks also refurbished a branded basketball court at the Center of Hope at Bessie Branham Park, done with support from CBA Sports who installed the special court flooring.
During the event, DPR also revealed the new Junior Atlanta Hawks uniforms, resembling the Atlanta Hawks uniforms, which more than 1,000 youth participating in the city-wide basketball program will wear.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Grant Park was the setting for basketball games played by NBA all-stars who made their off-season home Atlanta, as well as local playground legends. The court has maintained its popularity throughout the years and remains one of the city’s most-used public courts.
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