Nipsey Hussle‘s love for his community was always evident, and in his passing, his neighborhood has stepped up and reciprocated the love to the rapper. Not only was the entrepreneur business savvy and a STEM advocate, but he also had an appreciation for basketball and that’s highlighted in the newest homage dedicated to the rapper.
There’s a new basketball court coming to the corner of Crenshaw and 60th street and its creation is to pay respect to the slain rapper,” NBC News reports. The new Nipsey Hussle Memorial Basketball Court was an idea formulated and carried out by Nick Ansom, CEO of the Venice Basketball League. Ansom, a native of France who now resides in Southern California, collaborated with muralist Gustavo Zermeño to paint an image of Nipsey on the court.
Nipsey Hussle loved basketball and community, so they built a court with a mural to honor him 🙏
(via @nbcbayarea)pic.twitter.com/PnxJFTilvX
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 11, 2019
“His legacy will live on and his spirit lives forever,” Ansom said. The pair had previously met to discuss a potential project between the two. Their love for basketball and aiding their communities is what brought the two together. “He spoke through his music, but he also spoke through his actions. You have Nipsey (at mid-court) looking out toward his neighborhood and saying “I’m still here with you guys.'”
Although the Victory Lap artist’s music is what first attracted Zermeño to him, it was Hussle’s efforts in helping out the community that hooked him. So when Ansom called on Zermeño to help with the project, the artist had more than enough to offer in remembering the 33-year-old figure.
“When (Nick) asked me to be a part of this, I felt like I had to contribute something bigger,” Zermeño said. “That’s when I pitched the whole Nipsey thing, like actually painting him on the court. He was a big part of helping the kids, and when I heard it was a school that’s when I was like, it’s for real.”