The newly refurbished court may be technically inside the Woodland Neighborhood Resource and Rec Center, but in the minds of the Cleveland school kids who got to be among the first to play on it Thursday, they're at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
The court and the basketball clinic taking place on it Thursday were the latest gifts of the Cavs back to the community, something that cultivates the next generation of fans by investing in the neighborhoods they're growing up in.
“We to continue the legacy that we've created of really being a steward of the franchise,” said Cavaliers and Rock Entertainment CEO Nic Barlage. “And we think a big part of that is how do we give back to the community here in Northeast Ohio that ultimately creates greater positivity for the people that are part of the community, and today is a true symbol of that."
The court is the 16th the team has refurbished and is the fulfillment of a promise made as part of the arena's transformation deal in 2017. The team received $70 million in public funds towards the $185 million cost and, in turn, promised to breathe new life into the city's rec centers.
The excitement felt by the kids this day will be felt by the city as a whole this weekend as the Cavs open their NBA playoff run Saturday at 1 p.m., followed by the Guardians at Progressive Field at 6. A steady stream of thousands will flow through Downtown over not just a few hours but all day.
“I think we're gonna get people down to our game early and hopefully they stick around and and check out The Guardians game afterwards,” said Barlage. “But that's really the role we play in the community is how do we bring people together, but then ultimately, how do we do it in a way that's porous and permeable and pours into East 4th Street or the Warehouse District or The Flats or wherever else people may want to go in and around downtown."
That's also why the arena was redesigned to be less of a cement box and more of an open experience, providing connectivity to Downtown where even if you don't have tickets to be inside you can share in the excitement outside.
"And so if you can't come to the game, we're going to have Fan Fest adjacent to it. We're going to have a bunch of things going in and on and around Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse," said Barlage. "The entire atmosphere downtown will be elevated for the playoff push."
And joining the Cavaliers in the postseason this year are their Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse roommates the Cleveland Monsters. This is the first time that’s happened since 2016, when both franchises won it all.
