Reebok, Shaquille O'Neal Foundation Restore Basketball Court Atlanta-Area Kids and Teens at the James T. Anderson Boys & Girls Club
A revamped playing surface, new hoops and abstract artwork executed by nonprofit Project Backboard encourages kids to get active and engage with the world around them.
Reebok, in collaboration with The Shaquille O’Neal Foundation and Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta (BGCMA), today unveiled a refurbished basketball court for members of the James T. Anderson Boys & Girls Club in Marietta, Ga., located 20 miles north of Atlanta. The colorful and abstract court design furthers the organization’s shared commitment to encouraging youth physical activity and creativity.
“As a Reebok partner and long-time supporter and alumnus of Boys & Girls Club, I’m proud of the team effort to encourage more kids to stay active and lead healthy lifestyles,” said Shaquille O’Neal, who helped launch The Shaquille O’Neal Boys & Girls Club of Henry County last fall.
The restoration was executed by Project Backboard, a nonprofit whose mission is to renovate courts to help strengthen communities and encourage multigenerational play. The months-long revamp entailed sourcing brand new portable basketball hoops, repairing surface cracks and bumps, applying new layers of sealant for durability and painting a beautiful abstract design by Atlanta-based artist Jamaal Barber, with input from Anderson Club members.
“The transformation of our Anderson Club basketball court is so much more than what meets the surface,” said BGCMA President & CEO David Jernigan. “Partnerships with mission-aligned organizations like Reebok, The Shaquille O’Neal Foundation and Project Backboard are so important to us because they underscore our goal to help kids and teens build healthy habits now that will last a lifetime.”
The Anderson Club court refurbishment follows Reebok’s court refurbishment completed last month at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Carson, Calif., and the Candy Land-themed court refurbishment in 2020 at BGCMA’s A.R. “Gus” Barksdale Boys & Girls Club in Conyers, Ga. Each refurbishment is part of Reebok’s newly launched “Life is Not a Spectator Sport” campaign, a global call-to-action to inspire people to pursue their passions, celebrate their individuality and become active participants in the world around them.
“Through ‘Life is Not a Spectator Sport,’ our goal is to help build a more connected, active and creative generation, inspiring individuals to live life and get off of the sidelines. To achieve this, it starts with creating better access,” said Caroline Machen, Vice President, Global Brand Marketing at Reebok Design Group. “We’re thrilled to team up with Shaq, BGCMA and Project Backboard and bring this restored basketball court to the youth of the Atlanta metro area.”