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Cavs star at rec center rebuilt after hurricane
By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Friday, Feb 15, 2008
NEW ORLEANS: LeBron James gave a glowing new yellow basketball court made of 5,000 to 6,000 pairs of ground-up sneakers the ultimate christening Thursday.
The Cleveland Cavaliers star ran layup drills with youngsters. James dedicated a playground at the St. Bernard Recreation Center, a neighborhood about 15 minutes from downtown still rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina.
The project was paid for by State Farm Insurance and is the first developed by the
James Family Foundation, which has plans for others across the country.
But James looked more in his element when he went inside and hit the court, one of five refurbished by Nike in New Orleans. Seattle SuperSonics rookie Kevin Durant joined James in the layup line. Also participating in the event was Brandon Roy of the Portland Trail Blazers, Lisa Leslie of the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks, running back Deuce McAllister of the New Orleans Saints, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin and James' mother, Gloria.
''I grew up in a place where the income wasn't that great and the housing wasn't that great,'' James said of Akron. ''But if you have a recreation center, none of that matters when you go home and you might not have your lights on. As long as you have somewhere to go play the next day, you have friends, it helps.''
James said the center's improvements were important to him because that's where kids make friends.
''When you make friends, you always want to have fun, you always want to go outside. Community centers create an atmosphere like that to make friends and have good times,'' James said. ''What better place to do it than a place that had a tragedy like they had?''
In town for the NBA's All-Star Weekend that will be capped by Sunday night's game, James saw some of the city's devastation on the drive to St. Bernard.
''It's not the best sight to see. You think of the families that were here when Hurricane Katrina happened,'' James said. ''Hopefully some of the families can focus on the future and some of the things that are becoming great about this city.
''We know there's still a lot of work to do. It's a slow process, but it's going to be good. They have a great player down here in Chris Paul who is helping to create energy.''
Kids who attended the dedication were given shirts reading ''Let Me Play,'' with the logo of the James Family Foundation and the Nike swoosh.
But spending a few minutes in James' presence might have been just as valuable.
An hour after the players departed, drivers were still cruising past the center hoping to get a glimpse of the stars.
''I respect you all,'' James, 23, told the crowd estimated at 500. ''I was a kid once.''
Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read her Browns blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/browns/.
NEW ORLEANS: LeBron James gave a glowing new yellow basketball court made of 5,000 to 6,000 pairs of ground-up sneakers the ultimate christening Thursday.
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