Crumbling BK basketball court overdue for an upgrade gets NY Liberty-themed makeover after championship win
The New York Liberty isn’t done painting the town seafoam green just yet.The newly-minted WNBA champs’ home borough of Brooklyn received a much-needed upgrade to a delipidated basketball court in East New York last month, all thanks to an assist from the team’s co-owners Joe Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai.“By upgrading the basketball courts here at Breukelen Ballfields, we’re ensuring that New Yorkers of all ages, and particularly young people, have an engaging space to connect with their neighbors and have some safe fun,” NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue said in a statement.The renovation is part of a $1.8 million investment from the Joe and Clara Tsai Foundation’s Social Justice Fund, which aims to revamp recreation spaces in neighborhoods with high rates of gun violence.The fund has already transformed three other parks in Brooklyn, including the Jackie Robinson Playground in Crown Heights, Fox Playground in Flatlands and Sunset Park.The NYPD’s 75th precinct, which encompasses East New York and Cypress Hills, has seen a 2.3% increase in shooting incidents year-over-year, compared to a 2% drop citywide during the same time period.
To date, the Brooklyn precinct has reported 45 shootings in 2024. “I’m so grateful to our partners at the Social Justice Fund, the Nets, and the Liberty for making this renovation possible, and for their investment of almost $2 million to upgrade basketball courts throughout Brooklyn, focusing on neighborhoods with acute levels of gun violence,” Donoghue said.The 16-acre park was “overdue for an upgrade,” according to several Google Reviews of the greenspace.“Very dirty … garbage all around,” one reviewer wrote. “Dusty area with low lighting,” another added. The park received other upgrades earlier this year, including a new turf field, an asphalt play space, a new walking track and more, per the Brooklyn Eagle.A full renovation of playground equipment is forthcoming.
Through the city’s Adopt-a-Park ...