Tamika Catchings, WNBPA and 2K team up for Riverside rebirth
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One of the most meaningful basketball courts Tamika Catchings has ever stepped foot on has been given a fresh start to inspire a new generation of Indy ballers and philanthropists.
Why it matters: The refurbished court at Riverside Park is the latest improvement for the long-underutilized Indy attraction spanning both sides of the White River.
- The court was funded by 2K Foundations, the charitable arm of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.
Driving the news: Catchings, Indiana Fever guard Sydney Colson, WNBPA executive director Terri Jackson and 2K's head of lifestyle and content marketing Ronnie 2K gathered with the community for a court unveiling Thursday morning.
Flashback: The court is special to Catchings because it is where she hosted her first youth basketball camp in December 2001 after being sidelined with a torn ACL.
- In addition to basketball skills, the free camp taught children about philanthropy by asking them to bring in canned goods that would be donated to Gleaners as their price for admission.
- "This is where it all began. So it's always going to have a big place in my heart, and it's somewhere that I wanted to come back to," Catchings told Axios.
Similar to Catchings championing philanthropy 24 years ago, 2K Foundations has leveraged the massive brand identity established by the NBA2K games to reinforce the importance of doing good.
- "That's what this is really about … trying to inspire the next generation to fall in love with basketball, just like I did as a kid, and then be able to pay it back down the road," Ronnie 2K said.
What's new: Riverside's court now features an official WNBA three-point line, a nod to the WNBA's "Line 'Em Up" effort to bring regulation three-point lines to community courts across the country.
- It also has a striking new design courtesy of Indy artist Shaunt'e Lewis.
The bottom line: For the kids who will play at Riverside, and for Catchings, this is much more than a court; it's a symbol of endless possibility.
- "It really is about dreaming big. You're bigger than this neighborhood," Catchings said. "And yes, come back to the neighborhood. Never forget where you came from. But know that whatever you want to achieve or wherever you want to go, you've got people that want to help you succeed."