In partnership with Scotch Painter's Tape and Project Backboard, Knicks power forward Taj Gibson and his foundation unveiled new courts Saturday at Ingersoll Houses, Forbes reports.
The organizations found basketball courts integral to building community. Dan Peterson, the founder of Project Backboard, hoped to one day renovate a court in New York City, where his "love of basketball was born."
"My experience playing outdoor basketball in New York City on the NYCHA courts taught me that these public courts are the essential building blocks of a strong community," Peterson said.
Project Backboard teamed with the Taj Gibson Foundation for this project because of their "incredible work within the community" and also brought in Fort Greene Artist Steph Costello to design the courts.
"The Taj Gibson Foundation was created to provide resources and inspiration to the youth of New York City to keep them healthy and to reach their full potential in life," said Gibson.
Through fundraising and networking, the Taj Gibson Foundation works to enrich the lives of the next generation of scholars and athletes. They have worked with neighborhoods through sporting events, clothing and toy drives, and encouragement of a healthy lifestyle.
Gibson grew up playing ball at Ingersoll Houses. It hadn't been refurbished in 23 years and he believed it was "long overdue."
"I've always wanted to do something special for my community," he states."So, why not build a basketball court that the community would love? It was a perfect marriage. We all had the same vision to create something beautiful, artistic and epic."
