Basketball courts near MLK site get face-lift thanks to Atlanta Hawks

Basketball courts at Selena Sloan Butler park received a face-lift thanks to the Atlanta Hawks.

The renovation is part of the Atlanta Hawks Foundation’s pledge to revamp 25 metro Atlanta basketball courts by 2020. This is the sixth park in Atlanta the foundation has upgraded and 23rd park overall.

Basketball courts at William Walker Recreation Center and Bessie Branham, Central, Coan, and Grant parks have also been renovated.

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Commonly known as Butler Park, the 3.3-acre land sits on William Holmes Borders Drive just a few blocks from the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site. The new courts feature a black-and-gold color scheme marking the Hawks’ 50th anniversary. It is also a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s activism and legacy.

Named for educator and community activist Selana Sloan Butler, the park was revitalized and rededicated in 2011, roughly three years after a tornado ripped through the park and damaged its basketball court and playground.

At the time, the park had been drug- and crime-ridden.

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Here are five things to know about Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce.

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