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3 | W aterloo C hronicle | T hursday,A ugust 22,2019 w aterloochronicle.ca Waterloo ChronicleVoluntary Pay Contribution Program We ask you to consider contributing $30 per year towards delivery of your Community Newspaper. Many of our Readers have made the decision to show their support for the Waterloo Chronicle. It is our pleasure to provide the Waterloo area with a Community Newspaper. 475 ThoMpsoN dRIve, uNITs 1-4, CaMbRIdge, oN N1T 2K7 foR MoRe INfoRMaTIoN Call 519-623-7395 ext. 795080 Yes! I would like to contribute to the Waterloo ChroniclePlease find a cheque for $30 enclosed for a 1 year contribution. signature: _________________________________________________________ Name: _____________________________________________________________ address: ___________________________________ City:___________________ postal Code: ____________________________ phone #: _______________________________ We Appreciate Your Support! WATERLOO - Dozens of kids buzzed with excite- ment as Kitchener native and rising NBA star Jamal Murray signed autographs, posed for photos and shared high-fives in Waterloo Sat- urday afternoon. But soon enough, all they wanted to do was shoot some hoops. Murray was at the af- fordable housing complex on Amos Avenue in Water- loo to help open a new bas- ketball court and hand out school supplies to the kids in the area. "He's really cool for get- ting us a basketball net," said Hamza Nur, 14. The teen spent most of the after- noon with his friends shoot- ing everything from full- sized basketballs to minia- ture basketballs and even soccer balls at the new net after it was officially un- veiled. Hamza used to play bas- ketball with other kids in the community in a nearby parking lot, but the tragic death of 18-month-old Mo- hamed Abdalla who was hit by a car while playing with other children in the area in 2016 prompted Murray to get involved. The court is located near the middle of the housing complex, far from the park- ing area. "This one is way better," than playing in the parking lot, Nur said. It's a little more than half the size of a full court and only has one net at the moment, but a second is coming in the near future. In September 2017, Wa- terloo Region Housing part- nered with Murray to an- nounce the installation of the basketball court. About 60 families and 100 kids live in the housing complex. Murray, who recently signed a five-year US$170- million contract extension with the Denver Nuggets, also handed out backpacks filled with school supplies to kids and signed auto- graphs before peeling the protective tape off the back- board and signing it with a black sharpie. The deal is the richest NBA contract ever signed by a Canadian player. "I love it. I love being around kids," Murray said. "I play basketball at a high level, but to be part of the community and to be back home is a lot of fun." With so many kids out to see him Saturday, the six- foot-four NBA star was asked who he'd have liked to see when he was a young kid. Murray had to pause to consider his answer. "MJ and Vince," he said, referring to former NBA great Michael Jordan and former Toronto Raptors star Vince Carter. The court has been paid for by the provincial gov- ernment and other un- named sources, and Mur- ray has been pegged to con- tribute programming re- sources for the space. A former coach of Mur- ray's is pleased to see him giving back to the commu- nity. "It's heartwarming," said Scott Gleeson, who coached Murray in Grades 7 and 8 at Stanley Park Senior Public School. "He has the means to make a difference, and the heart to make a differ- ence." Mina Fayez-Bahgat, the region's housing manager, said there are plans in the works to bring similar nets to other communities in the region. "The goal is to get anoth- er in Cambridge and Kitch- ener hopefully within the next calendar year," he said. There is still more consulta- tion work to be done on the exact locations, but they hope to get the Cambridge site done before the winter and the Kitchener court un- derway next spring. "We're really trying to get basketball culture grow- ing with kids at a young age." NBA STAR JAMAL MURRAY HELPS OPEN NEW WATERLOO BASKETBALL COURT Denver Nuggets point guard and Kitchener native Jamal Murray jokes with Nigel Power while unveiling a new basketball court on Saturday. The Region has partnered with Murray to dedicate the new basketball court. David Bebee Torstar JAMES JACKSON jjackson@therecord.com LOCAL