June 11, 2009

New Orleans city councilman James Carter was thrilled to attend Wednesday’s dedication of the refurbished basketball court at Fox Playground in Algiers. But Carter wasn’t content to just say a few words during the opening ceremony. No, Carter wanted to test out the product, too.

After speaking about how excited he was to see the new court open, Carter joined three youngsters in playing a 10-minute halfcourt game of two-on-two, despite the fact that Carter was wearing a white dress shirt and a tie. As well as the fact that it was 90 degrees outside, but the humidity made it feel like 110.

The Fox Playground outdoor facility is the second of five basketball courts the Hornets are refurbishing in the New Orleans area, as part of the franchise’s extensive, ongoing community involvement. “It is so wonderful that the Hornets have decided to have such a vested interest in our community, and shown an interest in revitalizing a lot of these playgrounds where our kids seek activities,” Carter said. “It’s going to help to continue to give kids something positive to do. This is the type of thing that we need. The Hornets have done this at various locations around the city.”

“It has always meant a lot to us, to be able to get out in the community and help, especially here in New Orleans,” Hornets executive officer of the board Chad Shinn said. “We love doing things like this for the kids.”

The local New Orleans company Helm Paint & Supply provided a special long-lasting paint that was used to refurbish the court, backboards and rims.

Click here to view photos.