Roberto Clemente Park, famous nationally for its role in the intro for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and locally for its role in the Spring Garden community, has a brand new look thanks to the Philadelphia 76ers, Penn Medicine, and Philadelphia officials who celebrated the refurbished court on Thursday, Aug. 15.
A bright day full of sunshine and excitement ushered in a new era at the neighborhood staple. The Sixers started the festivities with performances by the 76ers Dancers and Sixers Stixers, with their mascot, Franklin, joining in to pump up the substantial crowd who had gathered.
Following that warm introduction, a series of speakers took the stage, discussing the importance of not only this newly refurbished court but also providing children with safe resources, interacting with and building the community, and creating opportunities for local youth to participate in basketball. The speakers included 76ers part-owner David Adelman, Penn Medicine SVP and CSO Lori Gustave, Councilmember Jeffrey Young Jr., Parks and Rec Commissioner Susan Slawson, and Philadelphia 76ers legend Julius “The Doctor” Erving.
Following the speakers addressing the crowd, they, along with other representatives from the 76ers, Penn Medicine, and more, including 76ers rookies Jared McCain and Adem Bona, assembled for the official ribbon-cutting of the court.
After the ceremony, the pair of Sixers rookies helped to lead a basketball clinic for youth participants and even held a Q&A discussion with the youth. After warming up and speaking with the many children attending the basketball clinic, McCain and Bona sat with media members, discussing what participating in this event meant to them individually, how they were feeling ahead of their first season in the NBA, and much more.
Julius Erving also spoke with local media members after participating in a guest spot on 97.5 The Fanatic’s midday show, which was live on-site for the event. Erving discussed his expectations for the Sixers this upcoming season with the addition of Paul George and his continued love for the city of Philadelphia.
“I always have high expectations for us. I think another year under Nick Nurse will bear fruit for the team. I think if he can keep [Tyrese] Maxey on the rise, he’s going to be the best point guard in the league. Joel [Embiid] can continue to be Joel… Paul [George] is kind of like an X factor for this particular team. He’s been that everywhere that he’s been. He’s a quality guy who can score the basketball inside, outside, plays committed, has a commitment on the defensive end, and I think Nick [Nurse]’s gonna be a good addition to him as a different type of coach than he’s had in Indiana or he had with the Clippers.”
“When I came here, I was 26; that’s prime time in my sports career, pre-prime in my life,” Erving told Metro Philadelphia. “There were a lot of things that happened here that were first-time experiences, and I was never really an urban dweller. I grew up in the suburbs of Long Island, and I went away to Massachusetts, went to college there, started my career in Virginia with the Squires, and then I went back to Long Island. My first totally urban experience came in Philadelphia, so that became the city that I adopted as my home, my second home to Long Island. All these years, it’s stuck.”
