A basketball court tucked into Eastlake Park in north Wilmington has new paint, new energy and a fresh role as the centerpiece of a neighborhood celebration, after the Philadelphia 76ers renovated the court at West 30th Street and Madison Avenue. The Sixers Youth Foundation marked the project as its 15th neighborhood basketball court renovation overall and its first in Delaware, drawing families, city officials and local kids out for a community party and basketball clinics at the park.
As reported by NBC10 Philadelphia, Wilmington Mayor John Carney attended the celebration and told the outlet he played basketball at the park while growing up. Carney said the court never looked as good as it does after the Sixers’ renovation, and he praised the team’s involvement in the community project. Pastor Ronald Hayes, who lives near the park, watched the renovation unfold over the past several months, and children were seen using the refreshed court during the celebration.
A Long-Running Investment Across the Region
The Eastlake Park project traces back to a pledge the 76ers made in 2025, when the team committed $150,000 toward upgrading the court, according to The News Journal. That outlet reported the upgrade was only one part of a broader plan from the mayor and City Council to improve parks throughout Wilmington. The court sits at West 30th Street and Madison Avenue in the city’s north end, the same location the News Journal cited when the pledge was first announced.
Leslie Walker, speaking for the Sixers Youth Foundation, said the organization considers its community impact important and provides grant dollars to regional areas that need them and can use them for children, per NBC10 Philadelphia’s report. The foundation says on its own site that it has committed more than $6 million in grant awards, contributions and other incentives, and that its funding has benefited more than 285,000 youth in the region — support delivered through both grants and in-kind help, according to the Sixers Youth Foundation.
Part of a Broader Wilmington Footprint
Wilmington is already home to the Delaware Blue Coats, the Sixers’ G League affiliate, and the Eastlake Park project adds a neighborhood-level piece to that presence. The Blue Coats play in a five-story, 161,000-square-foot arena along an industrial stretch of south Wilmington that cost $26 million to build, according to a report from WHYY. The same report notes the facility is planned to eventually host a youth soccer training center for elite players along with sports camps and educational activities for city kids.
The foundation’s work extends well beyond Delaware. Earlier this year, the Sixers Youth Foundation kicked off its 2026 Jr. 76ers Summer Hoops Tour at Cobbs Creek Park in West Philadelphia, offering basketball skills programming built around fitness, teamwork and mentorship, as reported by Metro Philadelphia. That same tour partnered with the Youth Mentoring Partnership to provide a summer basketball clinic alongside youth mentorship opportunities, according to the outlet. The foundation says on its website that it has partnered with more than 20 nonprofit organizations since 2015 to support youth development across the region, working alongside nonprofits and city agencies to renovate play spaces and expand access to safe corridors for kids.
What Comes Next for Eastlake Park
Back at Eastlake Park, parents and community leaders expressed hope that the renovated court remains a safe, welcoming place for neighborhood children, according to NBC10 Philadelphia’s report. The outlet noted the court is expected to continue bringing children and families together in the months ahead. The foundation’s fundraising has grown alongside its project list — it raised a record $1.9 million at its annual gala in January 2024 for youth across Philadelphia, Camden and the greater Delaware Valley region, according to the Sixers Youth Foundation.
