This time Juwan Howard had the homecourt advantage in Chicago.
On a sunny afternoon perfectly sketched for shooting some playground hoops, Howard received an emotional welcome home with high-fives and hugs, handshakes and honors.
The South Side native and NBA star for the Washington Wizards officially opened the Juwan Howard Playground and Basketball Court at Lowden Homes on Friday.
Howard, 24, lived in the public-housing project on West 95th Street from 1983 to 1993 and went to high school at Chicago Vocational before playing with the “Fab Five” at the University of Michigan.
His Juwan Howard Foundation donated more than $53,000 over the last two years to help cover the cost of the community project, which was started in 1994.
“I’d like to thank God for giving me the opportunity to return to where I grew up and see so many familiar faces,” Howard told about 200 friends, family members and Lowden Homes residents. “I especially want to thank my family, because they are the ones who supported me from Day 1.
“I see some of the friends I played ball in the dirt with out there–they know what I’m talking about–and now we’ve got a real court here.”
There is also a 2,500-square-foot playground, along with the regulation-size basketball court.
“This is for the kids of this community, the next generation that’s coming aboard,” Howard, a 6-foot-9-inch forward who has a seven-year, multimillion-dollar contract with the Wizards, said, looking at a group of wide-eyed youngsters seated in front of him at center court. “I want to let you know that I’m from the same neighborhood, that I went to school and that I had the opportunity to go to a prestigious school like Michigan, where I got my degree.
“I want to be a good example to these kids because I feel that’s part of my job.”
“It’s a glorious day,” said Delores Triplett, president of the Lowden Homes Resident Management Organization. “We welcome you home, Juwan, and thank you for giving back to us.”
Tyrone Noel, a neighborhood basketball organizer, made this promise to Howard: “I just want to say that during the past couple of weeks a lot of people have degraded us as a community and said that this court and playground will never last. Juwan, you take a good look because when you come back next summer it will look the same.”
Ron Carter, the Chicago Housing Authority’s director of economic development and a former player for the Los Angeles Lakers, said that Howard and Lowden Homes paved the way for more new courts and playgrounds throughout Chicago.
“Because Lowden Homes has come together as a community to make this basketball court and playground happen, you have stimulated something citywide,” he said.
Carter, who is also chairman of the city’s Safe Summer program, added, “So Safe Summer is proud to announce that the CHA has committed a million dollars to develop more playgrounds in Chicago public housing.”
Howard received three honorary awards and then helped put a commemorative cornerstone on the side of the asphalt court. He also hung around to sign hundreds of autographs for the fans who engulfed him after the one-hour ceremony.
Naturally, he was asked about his team’s NBA chances next season.
“Well, I just wish Michael (Jordan) would retire and give some of us young guys a chance to win the championship,” he said with a smile. “But we have a really good young team and we gained a lot of playoff experience last season.”
Jordan and the Bulls swept Howard’s then-Washington Bullets in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
Howard, who also plans to introduce a reading program to the community, stopped to point out a few spots where he played football, softball and basketball when he was a child at Lowden Homes.
“I always thought when I was younger that if I was financially able, I would use it to help do some nice things for others,” Howard said, as basketballs started bouncing in the background.
