Hornets in the Community
Hornets Refurbish Basketball Court at St. Gabriel Church
By: Jim Eichenhofer, Hornets.com, @Jim_Eichenhofer
January 24, 2012
Two of the New Orleans Hornets’ reserve guards, Squeaky Johnson and Greivis Vasquez, have very little in common in terms of their respective backgrounds. While Johnson grew up in the U.S. South – a proud native of the city of New Orleans – Vasquez was born on another continent, in the South American nation of Venezuela. Still, when Johnson and Vasquez attended a Sunday, Jan. 22 ceremony at St. Gabriel Church on Pineda Street in New Orleans, the event triggered similar memories of their childhood experiences. Johnson and Vasquez were on hand to help dedicate a newly-refurbished basketball court inside the St. Gabriel’s school grounds. The court refurbishment and basketball clinic for local children was part of a combined effort between the Hornets and the Salvation Army.
Coincidentally, Johnson actually went to school in fourth and fifth grade at the same St. Gabriel church location in the 1990s. When the 5-foot-10 NBA rookie attended St. Gabriel, the current room for the gymnasium was the cafeteria. Johnson fondly remembers spending a considerable amount of time playing on New Orleans basketball courts, but most of them were outdoors. Given NOLA’s extremely large amount of precipitation, the 28-year-old recognized the importance of local children having an indoor basketball venue.
“When I was a kid, we always played outside,” Johnson said. “We would practice outside, whether it was cold or hot. Back then they didn’t have those Under Armour long-sleeve shirts to keep you warm, so we would be out there practicing with our jackets on, even our Starter jackets.
“For these kids to have an indoor court, it will mean a whole lot. For them to have an actual gym to stay warm or stay cool (depending on the season), I’m sure they will get great use of it.” Prior to coming to the United States and his standout collegiate career at the University of Maryland, Vasquez learned the sport of basketball primarily on outdoor courts in Venezuela. His visit to the St. Gabriel court brought him back to the days when he first played the game.
“This court reminds me of where I came from and my time back home, where it all started,” the 25-year-old said, smiling. “It’s always good to see kids having fun and playing the game. It motivates you and makes you understand that you can never forget your roots and where you come from. Basketball is definitely becoming more popular in Venezuela. It’s a cheap sport. To play baseball you need a lot of things, such as equipment. Basketball is simple – all you need is a ball and a basket.”
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