MLK Park Energy was explosive!
MLK Park: Here’s What Happened
MLK gave us a beautiful day for outdoor basketball. There’s no pavilion covering the court, so having a break from the sun made a difference. If You ask for better basketball weather you probably get back the same day with a few more minutes on it.
I arrived early to get a feel for the park since I hadn’t been there in a while. When I pulled up, the court was empty.
The first person to arrive was Lil Trey, a PJJ Vet. Trey has been around so long that I still have footage of me giving him some of the first merchandise I ever introduced to the community. This time, he helped me carry my equipment to the court.
That’s something I truly appreciate about our community. No matter which court we visit, someone offers to help with whatever needs to be done.
Soon after, cars started pulling up, and the court filled quickly. The first crew got things started, and more hoopers kept arriving while the games were going.
We had water, music, a scoreboard, and a game clock. We started with games to 12 points or 12 minutes. When hoopers asked for a quicker rotation, we adjusted to 9 points or 8 minutes, whichever came first.
Sizzle Davis hosted the event on the mic, bringing the natural energy he brings every time. Vzn arrived about 30 minutes early for his recording shift, giving me more time to talk with hoopers, conduct interviews, and manage the scoreboard. Having him behind the camera helped me stay involved with the community throughout the run.
Of course, I got on the mic for a little respectful trash talk, too. Nothing personal just enough to get the hoopers going.
I recorded 2 interviews: 2 PJJ vets Those conversations give us a chance to learn about the people beyond their time on the court.
Interviews from the MLK Run
Watch two of the conversations from the court below.
The Run and the Wrap-Up
People came to play and to watch. Between the music, the commentary, and the action, the run had that old school feel a park takeover built around the community. With both cameras recording, we were able to cover more of it. People along the sidelines were taking pictures and recording their own moments, too.
We wrapped up right at 9 p.m. We battle, we trash talk hoopers we know but because respect is always on deck we have no fights, we picked up our trash before leaving and Everyone goes home safe.
Good basketball, people helping each other, and respect for the park. Thank you to everyone who came out and helped make the MLK run what it was.