By Carla Zannoni
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
WASHINGTON HEIGHTS — Embattled Congressman Charles Rangel and former Knicks star John Starks helped celebrate the opening of Northern Manhattan’s newly restored basketball courts at Wallenberg Playground in Highbridge Park Wednesday.
Starks and former Knicks teammate John Wallace were joined by several elected and city officials in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the courts at Amsterdam Avenue and West 189th Street, and then took to the concrete for a basketball clinic with dozens of neighborhood kids.
“The Knicks do a lot with community outreach as an organization,” said Starks, who is best known for his left-handed slam dunk against Michael Jordan during the 90s. “To be involved with something that will uplift a community like this with a game I’ve played for so many years is exciting.”
Rep. Rangel, who's embroiled in an House ethics investigation, waxed philosophical to the dozens of kids waiting to begin the basketball clinic.
“Remember that every day won’t be filled with sunshine,” the embattled congressman said, “but you have superstars here to teach you how to enjoy the game.”
The $90,000 restoration project included new pavement, benches and backboards throughout the five courts that make up the playground. The project was funded through the Parks department and a $50,000 donation from Vantage Residential through the Courts of Dreams Foundation, a nonprofit whose mission is to restore basketball courts for city kids.
Surveying the new professional-looking courts and fiberglass backboards on the courts, Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe reminisced about his own childhood spent playing basketball in city parks, where he learned the game on broken pavement.
“Sports were always important to me growing up,” he said, “And sports are important to this community. This neighborhood has been the birthplace of a lot of athletes.”
