AUSTIN — Chicago basketball legends, along with luminaries in broadcasting and music were in Austin on Wednesday to assist a community that has fallen on hard times in recent years.
The event, "Four Corners," included a panel discussion featuring recording artist 2 Chainz, Chicago basketball legends Ronnie Fields and Dee Brown along with Hoop Magazine writer Bryan Crawford. The discussion, moderated by TNT basketball analyst Kenny “The Jet” Smith, revolved around the importance of sports and need for resources in inner-city neighborhoods.
The Columbus Park Refectory, located at 5701 W. Jackson Blvd., provided the perfect backdrop for Fields, who starred at Farragut High School, and Brown, a West Side native who made a name for himself at the University of Illinois. Both played basketball in Columbus Park as children.
"I got to play with the older guys growing up. Every area had an outside tournament. That's when it was safer to play," Fields said. "Look at today where's there no YMCAs or courts. You don't have kids that are eager to play like were. We want to bring back kids who want to play."
Brown said that without outdoor basketball courts he wouldn't have been able to play professional basketball
"I used to see the guys who made it come back to my neighborhood. It gave me a sense that I can make it," Brown said. "If I do the right things in terms of education, if I listen to mom, I knew that it took more than putting the ball in the basket."
As the conversation moved forward, the topic of the violence during Memorial Day weekend in which six people were killed and another 63 wounded, solicited strong thoughts from the panel.
Crawford, who grew up in Englewood, believes that some of the city's violence stems from lack of options.
"A lot of it is the fact that these kids don't have anything to do," Crawford said. "When I was growing up, you could go to the park. These days, you drive around the city and you see backboards with no rims. If you don't give these kids outlets besides playing video games, what do you expect for them to do."
2 Chainz echoed Crawford's sentiments on kids having options for extracurricular activities.
"Putting a recording studio in a school or fixing a basketball court can change the trajectory of these neighborhoods," 2 Chainz said. "It's about spreading love and spreading positive vibes."
After the panel, Full Court reFRESH, in conjunction with Coors Light, presented a check to the Metropolitan Board of the Chicago Urban League, presented a check of $40,000 to help fix up courts in Illinois, including at Columbus Park.
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