[Brewster Park Basketball Court Upgrade with Mayor Turner and Jalen Green]
[00:00:16]
WELL, MY NAME IS KENNETH ALLEN.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THE, UH, HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATION, DEPAR PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
WELCOME TO THE GREATER FIFTH WARD COUNCIL, DISTRICT B HOME OF BREWSTER PARK.
SO WE ARE COMPLETELY THRILLED TO CELEBRATE THE IMPROVEMENTS TO THIS BASKETBALL PAVILION WITH THE HELP OF OUR PARK PARTNERS AND OUR FRIENDS OF OUR PARK, THE HOUSTON ROCKETS, JALEN GREEN.
YOU KNOW, I WANNA ALSO TAKE A MOMENT TO JUST RECOGNIZE DEDICATED PARK STAFF FROM OUR FACILITIES MANAGEMENT AND TRADE TRADES DIVISION, STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS, A GREEN SPACE, AND ALL THE STAFF THAT HELPED MAKE THIS HAPPEN TO HELP KEEP THIS PROJECT ON TIME FOR THIS CELEBRATION AND A SHORT TIMELINE.
SOME AMAZING WORK WAS DONE AT THIS PARK.
SO I WANT TO THANK ALL THAT WAS INVOLVED IN IT FROM H PARK.
I'D LIKE TO ALSO RECOGNIZE ALVIN BIRD FROM PRINCE SQUARE CIVIC ASSOCIATION.
I STOOD WITH HIM ABOUT SIX MONTHS AGO.
HE SAID HE WANTED TO DO SOMETHING AT BRUCE PARK AND HERE WE GO.
I ALSO LIKE TO RECOGNIZE ANTHONY WALTON FROM WALTON SPORTS WORKING WITH JALEN GREEN TO POUR INTO THE COMMUNITY.
YOU KNOW, THIS PROJECT WAS ACTUALLY DRIVEN BY THE MAYOR'S VISION TO IMPROVE NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS, AND THIS IS JUST ONE OF MANY THAT HE'S DECIDED TO FOCUS ON.
SO THANK YOU MAYOR FOR YOUR UNCA SUPPORT AND FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO PARKS AND PARKS PEOPLE.
SO, ENOUGH, ENOUGH TALKING FROM MY STANDPOINT, I WANT TO INTRODUCE YOU GUYS TO OUR HONORABLE MAYOR, SYLVESTER TURNER, WHO HAS A LOVE FOR PARKS.
HEY, LET ME, LET ME, LET ME, LET ME GIVE IT UP FIRST TO, UH, DIRECTOR KENNETH ALLEN, DIRECTOR OF HOUSTON PARKS AND REC.
GIVE IT UP TO DIRECTOR KENNETH ALLEN AND THEN TO ALL, TO ALL OF THE EMPLOYEES FROM HOUSTON PARKS AND REC.
I CERTAINLY, I'M GONNA APPRECIATE THEM.
LOOK, WE, WE ARE IN COUNCIL DISTRICT B, UH, WHICH IS COUNCIL MEMBER TASHA JACKSON.
AND WE'RE ALSO IN HISD, HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, UH, JURISDICTION.
AND ONE OF THE TRUSTEES THERE IS IS TRUSTEE KATHY BLUE FOR DANIEL.
AND THEN, UH, OF COURSE I CERTAINLY WANT TO THANK, UH, JAYLEN FOR, UH, WELL THAT TAKES HERE.
GIVE, GIVE, GIVE ALL, GIVE, GIVE IT ALL BACK TO ME.
YOU KNOW, WELL, LET ME, BEFORE I GET TO JALEN, LET ME, LET ME, LET ME, LET ME THANK GRACE, GRACE, GRETCHEN SHEARS, UH, THE, THE PRESIDENT OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS AT HOUSTON ROCKS.
AND I CAN'T LEAVE OUT SARAH JOSEPH.
SO THANK YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH.
LOOK, I WANNA, I WANNA THANK JALEN, UH, FOR HIS SUPPORT, NOT JUST FOR WHAT WE ARE DOING HERE, BUT, UH, EVER SINCE HE'S BEEN IN HOUSTON, HE'S BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE, OF COURSE, SUPERSTAR ON THE COURT, BUT HE'S ALSO BEEN A SUPERSTAR IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO, MAN, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR YOU.
THIS PROJECT, PROJECT BACK BOARD STARTED BACK IN 2015 AS A, AS A NON-PROFIT.
AND QUITE, AND QUITE FRANKLY, IT WAS INTENDED TO RENOVATE PUBLIC BASKETBALL COURTS AND INSTALL LARGE SCALE WORKS OF SITE SPECIFIC ART ON THE SURFACE IN ORDER TO STRENGTHEN OUR COMMUNITIES.
WE ARE IN FIFTH WARD, BETTER KNOWN AS THE NICKEL, AND THIS IS BREWSTER PARK IN FIFTH WARD.
AND QUITE FRANKLY, BEFORE TODAY, UH, THIS COURT NEEDED A LOT OF WORK.
UH, BUT BECAUSE OF, UH, THE HOUSTON ROCKETS AND ADIDAS AND, AND JALEN GREEN, UH, A LOT OF IMPROVEMENTS HAVE TAKEN PLACE RIGHT HERE ON THIS COURT.
AND I WANT TO THANK THEM FOR IT.
UH, AS A RESULT OF, AS A, AS A RE BECAUSE OF THEIR EFFORTS, UH, THIS COURT, THIS PAVILION
[00:05:01]
HAS RECEIVED NEW LED LIGHTING, NEW BACKBOARDS, ORNAMENTAL FENCING, AND JALEN GREEN'S SIGNATURE COURT ARTWORK INSTALLED BY PROJECT BACKBOARD.YOU KNOW, WE'VE CONSISTENTLY TALKING ABOUT, UH, TALKED ABOUT IMPROVING THE COMMUNITIES, ESPECIALLY IN COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN UNDERSERVED AND UNDER-RESOURCED FOR DECADES.
UH, LIFE COMMUNITY FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE I GREW UP IN AND STILL LIVE IN.
AND, UH, TO SEE ALL OF THESE YOUNG GUYS THAT ARE, THAT ARE SEATED RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME, UH, QUITE FRANKLY, THESE AMENITIES ARE INTENDED FOR YOU AND QUITE FRANKLY, FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.
AND THERE WAS A LOT OF WORK THAT WAS NEEDED.
UH, YOU DON'T NEED, WE DON'T WANT TO GIVE STUDENTS KIDS, UH, WHAT I CALL SECONDHAND STUFF, BECAUSE WHEN YOU GIVE FOLKS SECONDHAND STUFF, THEY TREAT IT IN A SECONDHAND WAY.
UH, BUT PEOPLE ARE DESERVING OF THE VERY, VERY BEST.
SO WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE TODAY, UH, IS FOR YOU.
AND THESE ARE GUYS FROM THE URBAN ENRICHMENT PROGRAM.
UH, SO GIVE IT UP TO THE URBAN ENRICHMENT PROGRAM.
AND SO, UH, LASTLY, LEMME JUST SAY, UH, I HAD ABOUT 25 AFRICAN AMERICAN KIDS THAT CAME AND VISITED ME AT CITY HALL THIS MORNING.
IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THEY WERE AT CITY HALL, AND IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THEY WERE MEETING PERSON TO PERSON, A MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND, UH, TO SEE HOW THEIR EYES LIT UP AND THE EXCITEMENT THAT WAS THIS MORNING.
AND NOW TO COME TO THE AFTERNOON AND TO BE HERE AT BREWSTER PARK AND TO SEE ALL OF YOU YOUNG GUYS, I MEAN, IT REALLY, IT REALLY MAKES FOR A FANTASTIC DAY.
LOOK, THEY PLAYED THE TEAM THAT JAMES HARDEN PLAYS WITH NOW, AND, UH, THEY CAME THROUGH, I THINK IT WAS TWO OVERTIME.
UH, THIS GUY REALLY, UH, JUST WAS TERRIFIC.
AND THEN AFTERWARDS JAMES HARDEN MADE A COMMENT THAT, UH, THAT I HAD MY STAFF WRITE DOWN.
HE SAID, JAYLEN, YOU HAVE NOT ONLY LIVED UP TO EXPECTATIONS, BUT THAT YOU HAVE, YOU ARE COMING IN WITH THAT SWAGGER EVERY SINGLE GAME AND THEN LATE MONDAY NIGHT IN THE OVERTIME YOU JUST TOOK OVER.
NOW THAT CAME FROM JAMES HARDEN.
UM, BUT FROM THE MAYOR, LEMME JUST SAY WHAT YOU ARE DOING OFF THE COURT IN THE COMMUNITY IS EVEN FOR ME, IS EVEN BIGGER.
SO I APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORTS, I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE DURING THANKSGIVING AND WHAT YOU'RE DOING NOW, WHAT YOU WILL CONTINUE TO DO.
SO LET ME, LET ME BRING UP TO YOU NOW, JALEN GREEN OF THE HOUSTON ROCKET.
WHAT'S UP Y'ALL? I APPRECIATE Y'ALL COMING OUT AND SHARING THIS MOMENT WITH ME.
THEY ASKING QUESTIONS,
WHAT'S THAT? THEY ASKING QUESTIONS? NO, YOU CAN ASK ME.
THEY HAVE ANYTHING THEY WANNA ASK? GOOD.
UH, IS ANY ANYBODY WANNA ASK ANY QUESTIONS OR ANYTHING? WHAT'S UP? WHO INSPIRE YOU? UM, I'M GONNA SAY MY MOM INSPIRED ME.
UH, SHE WAS A BASKETBALL PLAYER.
UH, SHE PLAYED THROUGH COLLEGE.
UM, BUT BASKETBALL WASN'T MY FIRST SPORT.
I MEAN, A LOT OF OTHER SPORTS TOO.
BUT FOOTBALL IS MY MAIN SPORT.
UH, WHAT DO I LIKE ABOUT BASKETBALL? I THINK JUST THE, THE COMPETITIVENESS.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU STEPPING BETWEEN THOSE LINES AND JUST TO GET TO COMPETE EVERY DAY AND AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL.
SO, UM, GET A PASSION FOR IT AND A LOVE FOR THE GAME.
DO I THINK I'LL EVER GET A SIGNATURE SHOE? I MEAN, I'M HOPING FOR IT
THAT'S WHAT I'M WORKING TOWARDS.
SO HOPEFULLY, HOWEVER, IN A COUPLE YEARS, TALK TO ADIDAS FOR ME.
HOW LONG HAVE I PLAYED FOR THE ROCKETS? THIS MY SECOND YEAR, SO A YEAR AND A HALF.
I GOT 20 SOMETHING GAMES UNDER MY BELT RIGHT NOW IN YEAR TWO.
HOW MANY POINTS DO I AVERAGE? UH, I THINK LIKE 21 OR 22, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SOME HARDSHIPS ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS.
[00:10:01]
MAN, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU GET INTO THE NBA, YOU START GETTING A LOT OF LIKE, RECOGNITION.
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ALWAYS LOOKING AT YOU DIFFERENTLY.
UM, I WOULD SAY JUST YOUR CIRCLE, THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU, UM, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THEM IN LINE AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
UH, 'CAUSE WHEN MONEY COMES INTO PLACE, EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING STARTS CHANGING A LOT.
SO I WOULD SAY JUST YOUR CIRCLE AND WHO YOU HAVE AROUND YOU.
ALRIGHT, WE GOT TIME FOR ONE MORE.
UH, HE SAID WHY DID I CHANGE TO BASKETBALL AFTER FOOTBALL? UM, I WAS PLAYING IN SEVENTH GRADE AND SOMEONE SMACKED ME IN MY KNEE AND I WAS LIKE, I'M DONE
I CAN'T, I CAN'T PLAY THIS NO MORE.
SO, UH, I FELT BASKETBALL WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE SAFER FOR ME.
WE'RE GONNA, I HAVE ONE MORE THING TO SAY.
OH, AND I HA I HAVE A SURPRISE FOR Y'ALL.
UM, WE PLAY UH, SAN ANTONIO ON THE 19TH AND I GOT TICKETS FOR EVERYBODY HERE TO COME WATCH ME AND MY TEAMMATES PLAY.
YEAH, HOPEFULLY YOU GET A DOVE.
WE'RE GONNA GUARANTEE A VICTORY, RIGHT? YEAH.
SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE A RIBBON CUTTING AND UM, WE'RE TAKE A FEW PICTURES.
BUT THANK YOU GUYS FOR BEING HERE.