NEW YORK – Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani, NYC Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura and Clara Wu Tsai, founder of the Social Justice Fund and owner of the New York Liberty and Brooklyn Nets, today announced the completion of a renovation of three basketball courts at Fish Playground in Brooklyn.
The renovation includes new backboards with nets and repaved courts with a grey, black and seafoam green finish. New benches provide seating for players and spectators, while a new water fountain helps parkgoers stay hydrated. The project also refurbished the chain-link fence with new mesh, preserving sightlines into the park while keeping wayward basketballs from bouncing into the street.
This full renovation is part of a $2.89 million investment by the Joe and Clara Tsai Foundation’s Social Justice Fund to upgrade 13 basketball courts across five Brooklyn parks. The work is funded through NYC Parks’ Adopt-A-Park program.
“Play is a public good and a building block of safe, connected communities,” said Mayor Mamdani. “These renovated courts will give families across Brooklyn the space to play, connect and enjoy their parks. We’re thankful to the Social Justice Fund, the Nets and the Liberty for making that possible.”
“Basketball gives kids a fun and engaging way to stay active, take in some fresh air and connect with friends. Investments like these court renovations can make a huge difference for public safety by giving young people a welcoming space for safe fun, which is especially important in neighborhoods that have historically been underserved,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura. “With these renovated courts, we’re inviting New Yorkers to make this park into their own Barclays Center, whether they’re casual fans or longtime hoopers. We’re so grateful to our partners at the Social Justice Fund, the Nets and the Liberty for making this renovation possible and for investing nearly $3 million to upgrade basketball courts throughout the borough, focusing on neighborhoods with acute levels of gun violence. Projects like this can change lives.”
“Our city’s public basketball courts are more than just places for exercise, they’re a cornerstone of community gathering and connection,” said Clara Wu Tsai, founder of the Social Justice Fund and owner of the New York Liberty and the Brooklyn Nets. “We’re proud to have invested over $2.8 million in 13 courts across Brooklyn over the last years. And we are especially proud that those investments spurred new commitments from across New York City’s departments to protect and preserve more of these vital community spaces. Every pick-up game and every youth league brings our borough closer together.”
“These renovated courts mean that our young scholars can be outside in safe proximity to our school building, while still enjoying the activities that kids would want to do,” said Principal Rashad Meade of Eagle Academy for Young Men II. “Having these here keeps the scholars close and out of harm’s way, which is especially critical for Black and Brown boys in this neighborhood. We’re going to make full use of these new courts.”
In addition to Fish Playground, the Social Justice Fund has sponsored basketball court renovations at Jackie Robinson Playground in Crown Heights, Breukelen Ballfields in East New York, Fox Playground in Flatlands and Sunset Park. Together, the projects have upgraded 13 courts across the five parks.
The sites were selected in consultation with NYC Parks as part of the Social Justice Fund’s racial justice initiative, which aims to expand access to recreation and state-of-the-art park amenities in Brooklyn neighborhoods experiencing acute levels of gun violence.
Fish Playground opened in 1965 and is jointly operated by NYC Parks and the Department of Education. Its name comes from the streets that border it: Fulton Street, Saratoga Avenue and Herkimer Street, whose initials form FSH.
