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Site of first basketball game noted with sculpture

Date: 8/10/2010

Aug. 11, 2010

By Chris Maza

Reminder Assistant Editor

SPRINGFIELD -- McKnight area resident Aaron Williams would often stop children he saw walking to school or to one of the local community centers and ask them if they knew where basketball was invented.

The children answered correctly that it was Springfield, but could never quite pinpoint exactly where in the city it happened.

"He would tell them they were standing on the spot and the kids' reaction would be, "Wow!'" Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame President John Doleva said.

The first basketball game was played in a YMCA building that no longer exists on the corner of State and Sherman streets. A McDonalds restaurant now sits on the lot.

The fact that the youth who lived in the area did not know such an important part of their neighborhood's history troubled Williams. That's when he decided to go to the city and the Hall of Fame for help.

"Aaron Williams came to see me a year or so [ago] and had this vision of highlighting exactly where basketball was invented," Springfield mayor Domenic Sarno said.

Williams, along with city officials and the Basketball Hall of Fame, pushed the project forward, calling local businesses and interest groups in order to gain support for a project to benefit the residents of Springfield without putting a serious burden on the already difficult budget situation.

"I asked 'With the federal government under constraints, the city government under constraints and the state government under constraints, what assets do we have that are underutilized and what can we do to help ourselves?'" Williams said.

Williams said the area needs to be aware and proud of its history and that was the driving factor behind the project for him.

"It is history. This is the birthplace," Williams said. "Therefore, I just wanted people to know the real Mason Square -- home to basketball, home to the Indian Motorcycle factory, home to the Knox Automobile Company. Mason Square is rich with a lot of history that is known on a global level."

The monument depicts a player from the original basketball game bounce-passing a basketball towards a modern-day youth. The monument itself has local ties because the statue of the young player was modeled after area youths by the artists, who visited Springfield schools and community centers for inspiration. The statue is surrounded by four glass placards, which tell the story of the invention of the game.

"We thought about just putting a plaque here, but I know Mason Square is trying very hard to revitalize itself and I said, 'We can't just put a placard here saying this is where basketball was invented. We really have to do it justice by making it educational, artistic and a community collaborative project," Michael Tully of the Springfield Parks Department said.

The action of passing the basketball symbolizes the movement towards the future. Sarno said that in that sentiment, he hoped the monument would serve as more than just a memorial of the past, but an inspiration for those who pass by it to look towards their own futures.

"This is a worldwide game now, so a lot of dreams and opportunities to succeed started right here with the game of basketball," Sarno said. "So I am hoping that the young people -- not only from far away, but from this neighborhood -- see this and pursue success not only on the court, but off the court for their careers. That's what I want the young people, regardless of creed, background and color to know: that you can achieve and you can reach great heights right out of here in the city of Springfield."

Former NBA point guard and Springfield Central High School basketball star Travis Best, who is an example of Springfield residents going on to great things, was on hand for the unveiling of the monument and called it a great moment for the city and something that can help rejuvenate the area.

"This is all Springfield putting this together. I think this does a lot for the city. It's going to cause people to come into the city and seek this location out," Best said. "Hopefully the people in Springfield will have a lot of pride in this. It's definitely a good thing that I think we all take a lot of pride in."

The monument is another positive thing for Springfield branching off from the $17 million restoration of State Street, according to Sarno, but he added that community improvement does not end with paving roads and building statues.

"We have done a lot of public improvements in this area and across the city, but what we really need to do is show and highlight the fabric of the community," Sarno said. "It's the community that has to continue to rise up, to highlight the good, to fight the bad that happens in urban centers across the country and you can just see the pride here in Mason Square."

The unveiling of the statues was followed by a basketball festival sponsored by the Hall of Fame. The Mason Square section of State Street was shut down and a full-sized wooden basketball court provided the site for exhibition basketball games, including one featuring the Puerto Rican National Under-19 Team.

The event was one of many events that are free to the public, hosted by the Hall of Fame, which has expanded enshrinement activities from a single weekend to a week-long celebration. For Best, having activities that are accessible to all is essential to getting people interested in the Hall of Fame and their communities.

"I think it's important for the community to feel involved. This is the birthplace of basketball. These people live in the birthplace," Best said. "To get the community involved like this is going to lift some spirits."



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