Nipsey Hussle loved basketball, and he definitely loved his neighborhood, so some might say a basketball court that bears his image is the perfect way to honor him. Hussle was shot and killed in South Los Angeles on March 31, and his memorial service was on Thursday. A man named Eric Holder is suspected to be the shooter, and he’s now in police custody. His bond is set at $5 million. A basketball court is being constructed in Nipsey Hussle’s honor. (Photo: Getty Images, Neilson Barnard) The new court, called “Nipsey Hussle Memorial Basketball Court,” is in the rapper’s neighborhood of Crenshaw Boulevard and 60th street, right outside Crete Academy nonprofit charter school. It sits just four blocks from where Hussle was killed. The entire court is also covered in blue and has a colossal-sized photo of the rapper in the middle. It’s size is 46 feet wide and 78 feet long. In video media reports the new space can been from various angles, and there are also shots of someone putting up a new blue backboard. The mural was spearheaded by Nick Ansom, the CEO of the Venice Basketball League, who recruited local artist Gustavo Zermano to do it. Ansom, originally from France, had talked to Nipsey before his death about working together. As for Zermano, who’s an admitted West Coast rap fan, he talked about the project and what it means to him. “When [Ansom] asked me to be a part of this, I felt like I had to contribute something bigger, so that’s when I pitched the whole Nipsey thing, like actually painting him on the court,” he explained. “He was a big part of helping the kids, and when I heard it was at a school that’s when I was like, it’s for real.” Ansom also spoke of the nearly completed court and its overall significance. “He spoke through his music, but he also spoke through his actions,” said Ansom. “You have Nipsey looking out toward his neighborhood and saying, ‘I’m still here with you guys. '” The court, located on 6103 Crenshaw Blvd., will be opened on April 13 after a ribbon-cutting ceremony that is set to start at noon.<doc-sep>Nipsey Hussle memorial basketball court unveiled in Crenshaw A school now bears Hussle's image across a 78 foot basketball court. An aerial shot of the new 78-foot-mural of Nipsey Hussle on a basketball court in Crenshaw. The Crete Academy Charter School dedicated the court in Hussle’s honor this Sunday, with a special ribbon-cutting ceremony and family fun day. The school is just a few blocks over from where Hussle was murdered in front of his store. READ MORE: Texas school calls police on mom for wearing a head scarf and t-shirt dress to register child for class Children and attendees wore custom spray painted t-shirts with Hussle’s portrait and mantra “The Marathon Continues.” “For us it represents hope, aspiration leadership community development entrepreneurship generosity, all of the things that I feel like that Black people were told were not [a part of] in society,” Hattie Mitchell, founder of Crete Academy, told theGrio. Mitchell says Hussle was more than a rapper to the children of her school— many of them actually got the chance to meet him through his community service and he made an impression on their young lives. “Every single day our kids are walking literally toward the mural… They are walking towards their healing and processing this.” – HaTTIE MITCHELL, SCHOOL FOUNDER “One of purposes that this courts serves is an opportunity to process,” Mitchell said. “Every single day our kids are walking toward the mural as they enter our school and they get to see someone who represented leadership, loyalty and hustle. A person who looks like our kids.” “They are walking towards their healing and processing this, and at the same time, they’re being inspired. They’re being encouraged. They’re being uplifted to do something that someone like them who had the same neighborhood experiences did before them.” READ MORE: Rep. Ilhan Omar says death threats against her have increased since President Trump tweeted about her The event was complete with free food, local performances and a special display of a collection of L.A. style low-rider cars as DJ’s spun West Coast hip-hop classics. And the Hussle continues The basketball court dedication is just one of many special remembrances in honor of Hussle that took place throughout Crenshaw over the weekend. Days after Hussle’s funeral, hundreds still gathered at The Marathon Clothing store where he was gunned down. Visitors took photographs in front of the makeshift vigil, and in front of the new murals of Nipsey Hussle which have been painted throughout the Crenshaw neighborhood over the past week. Despite reports from LAPD of a drive-by shooting after Hussle’s funeral procession in a neighboring area, theGrio witnessed peaceful and orderly gathering of mourners looking to simply pay their respects. READ MORE: A Tale of Two Homies: Civil Right attorney Lee Merritt remembers his own ties to the Crips and the legacy left by Nipsey Hussle A recent analysis of Hussle’s community work, estimated that the total projected value of his investments outside of rap music resulted in a whopping $210,413,500 including the number of people he hired, influenced, and the value of his investments. Share<doc-sep>
The city of Los Angeles continues to mourn and celebrate the life of Nipsey Hussle. On Sunday (April 14), the Crete Academy unveiled a memorial basketball court in the late rapper's honor during a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The non-profit charter school, which is located in the Crenshaw neighborhood, commissioned a mural in Nipsey's memory, doubling as a reminder for its young students to dream big. "For our kids to look at Nipsy and see to see everything he's done, what he was able to accomplish and how much he gave back to the community is huge for them…because he looks like them," Crete Academy Founder Hattie Mitchell shared with CBS2. "He grew up where they grew up. He's the epitome of everything that they want to be and aspire to be." The mural, which features a portrait of Nipsey done by artist Gustavo Zermeno, also includes the text, "The highest human act is to inspire." The project, which came to fruition through the Project Blackboard initiative, was created in partnership with the Venice Basketball League. The mural spans 78 feet of pavement and features the markings of a basketball court. Moments after its unveiling on Sunday, the basketball court was put to its intended use, playing host to a high school showcase and All-Star game. Related 9 inspirational Nipsey Hussle quotes to awaken the hustler in you On Thursday (April 11), thousands gathered in Los Angeles at the Staples Center to pay their final respects to Nipsey, who was gunned down just blocks away from the site of the new basketball court. The 33-year-old rapper, entrepreneur and community leader was fatally shot on March 31, sending a shockwave of grief across the globe. At the time of this report, his suspected killer, Eric Holder, is being held on $5 million bail. He is facing one murder count and two counts of attempted murder due to injuring two others during the shooting. Take a look at the new basketball court memorial below.