THE CANADIAN PRESS
NEW ORLEANS — Steve Nash stood atop a ladder, chipping away at paint on an exterior window. Inside, Chris Bosh and Dirk Nowitzki painted with wide brush strokes, their long arms extending up to the ceiling in the tiny home that had sat empty for more than two years.
The basketball stars rolled up their sleeves Friday in New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward, the neighbourhood now infamous for the ravages suffered in hurricane Katrina in the fall of 2005.
The NBA players were there to help out for just over an hour, an appearance squeezed into the middle of a hectic day. But they hope their presence, and the spotlight that will shine on the city during this weekend’s all-star game, can help propel New Orleans back into the public consciousness.
"It would have been nice to have seen the neighbourhood its heyday," said Nash, the two-time league MVP from Victoria. "It’s sad to see it depleted and forgotten. I just hope we can help be a part of picking up some steam for this effort.
"If we can help raise the awareness, people will realize there’s a lot more work to be done."
The players were among over 2,500 volunteers that took part in the "All-Star Day of Service," a rebuilding initiative with projects throughout the city in neighbourhoods, playgrounds and schools.
Over 1,800 people lost their lives in hurricane Katrina, with damage estimated at over US$81 billion.
As the bus carrying reporters and players neared the crippled Lower Ninth Ward, the mood grew sombre. The devastation that remains is remarkable, entire blocks of houses sit uninhabited, huge mounds of debris dot the roadside.
Each house is marked with a large `X’ where the water line rose to, plus the number of dead humans and dead animals found in each.
The bus driver asks if she can make a brief detour and then stops in front of a house that has collapsed into its foundation. The house is now pile of rubble, its roof bent in two.
"That was my house," said the bus driver.
"It’s tough," said Bosh. "I definitely think people here are very strong and resilient because I don’t know too many people who would come back after something like that. They came back because this is their home and they take a lot of pride in it. I think people are very strong here."
NBA commissioner David Stern awarded New Orleans the 2008 all-star game saying he wanted the league to part of the city’s solution, not its problem.
"There is nothing more important to the city than helping this city and its people rebuild," Stern said.
Thus far, the efforts of the NBA have raised more than $15 million toward rebuilding after Katrina.
Jerome Richardson said he has the NBA to thank for finally giving him his house back. Richardson’s home on Lizardi Street was destroyed when the water rose more than 20 feet. He had to crawl up to a small space under his roof, and then he was dragged out by rescue workers who cut a small hole in the shingles. CNN caught the dramatic rescue on film. He turned the pages of a book chronicling the rescue efforts to a picture of himself, then pointed up to his roof where the helicopter pulled him to safety.
Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James stood quietly painting Richardson’s front door.
After more than two years of living in a FEMA trailer, Richardson hopes to be back in his house before March, part of the estimated 50 per cent of the original population that have returned to New Orleans since Katrina.
"This is the block I grew up on, my whole family grew up in the house, it’s a family house and that’s where all the legacy started, in the family house," Richardson said.
Nash said visiting the Lower Ninth Ward will definitely be the most memorable part of his weekend.
"It’s a great shame," said the Phoenix Suns guard, who will play on the Western Conference team in Sunday’s all-star game. "I can’t relate to what these people went through. It’s devastating. To come here and see what little has been done is disappointing. It feels like the city has been forgotten in a lot of ways.".
The players that know the city best — the Hornets — say nothing but good can come from pointing the spotlight at New Orleans for one weekend at least.
"When the storm hit, there was a lot of attention on the city and then afterwards, it’s one of those things, out of sight, out of mind, people don’t talk about it as much so you don’t think about it as much," said Hornets guard Chris Paul, who was drafted by New Orleans in 2005, just before Katrina struck.
"With the all-star weekend, this is the basketball mecca of the universe for the weekend and the day of service which is taking place today will be more an impact than the game on Sunday."
Added Hornets coach Byron Scott: "I think that this city, I wouldn’t say we’ve been forgotten after a couple of years of post-Katrina but I think it’s kind of simmered down and (that) the city is getting back on its feet. We are, but we still are in dire need of support, we still need a lot of help, we still need the attention to let everyone know that this city is not where it should be at this particular time."
The NBA is doing its part. The league announced this past October a season-long, league-wide effort to help rebuild New Orleans. The league has collaborated with about a dozen community organizations in rebuilding homes, playgrounds and schools, and many visiting teams that visit New Orleans have hosted activities such as rebuilding playgrounds.
"We have never seen this type of organization at one time ever, this is unbelievable," said volunteer Kevin Barnes. "I have to commend David Stern. This is unbelievable."
Barnes grew up on the Lower Ninth Ward, but was living several kilometres inland when the hurricane struck. As a reserve sheriff, he was part of the neighbourhood’s rescue efforts.
"The home that I grew up in is gone," Barnes said. "We took a boat back here, and the house I grew up in was four blocks away. It actually floated four blocks away, and this was a brick home."
Barnes paused as his eyes welled up with tears.
"There were so many New Orelans people that were not able to return and the government just let these people down, and if it wasn’t for the kindness of these people coming out here… it’s breathtaking."
