Danilo Gallinari is Helping to Renovate Public Basketball Courts in Milan

A few months ago, it was revealed that Clippers’ owner Steve Ballmer, is donating a lot of money to the Los Angeles Parks and Rec department to renovate public basketball courts in Los Angeles. But he’s not the only one on the Clippers getting in on such action.

Clippers’ forward Danilo Gallinari, together with the Councilorship for Sport in Milan, has started the “We Playground Together” project. The goal of the project is simple: to repair some of the battered public basketball courts in the city of Milan, bringing in new nets, boards, baskets, and benches. This will hopefully encourage the growth of the sport in Milan, giving the ability to play basketball to thousands of kids (and even adults) who may not have played otherwise.

It’s about more than that, though. Basketball is a sport that brings people of all backgrounds and identities together in one place, and the (hopefully) friendly competition that ensues can help break down barriers that come from those differences. The We Playground Together project, at its core, seems to be about creating a real environment for those kinds of encounters to take place.

The project will begin with the renovation of the floor, baskets, and benches at the Parco Marinai d’Italia in Milan. The work is scheduled to be completed by September, with two other structures to follow in the coming years. The project will also take care of upkeep, ensuring that the courts remain in good condition.

This seems like a really cool project, and props must be given to Danilo and the city of Milan for undertaking it. With any luck, we should see some pictures of the updated playground come September!