OAKLAND — It was a joyous day for a small highschool in West Oakland.
For only a few hours on Friday afternoon, McClymonds Excessive was full of native and nationwide celebrities for the opening of its newly refurbished basketball health club.
Oakland royalty together with former NFL operating again Marshawn Lynch and rapper Mistah F.A.B. sat courtside. Cal alum Jaylen Brown made an look as did former NBA level guard Brandon Jennings. Los Angeles Sparks guard Kelsey Plum and YouTubers MrBeast and Jesser have been current because the Oakland faculty opened its doorways to the brand new Invoice Russell Gymnasium, named after the Boston Celtics legend and McClymonds’ most well-known graduate.
And who higher to introduce McClymonds’ new health club than the person who gained three NBA titles for The City?
Golden State Warriors level guard Stephen Curry introduced the upgraded McClymonds health club as part of attire firm Underneath Armour’s push to refurbish courts throughout America. It’s the twentieth courtroom that the sneaker model has refurbished since Curry signed with UA in 2013.
For Curry, finishing this undertaking was about honoring McClymonds and Russell’s wealthy historical past.
“So many legends have come through here, so many championships were won here,” Curry instructed the group crammed with OUSD dad and mom, alums and college students. “But it’s more so about the people that have been nurtured and grown by the spirit of this place from the teachers to the students to the faculty and administration.
“We want to celebrate the beautiful Russell family name. Bill Russell came from this gym and went on to do amazing things, not just for the game of basketball but in life.”
Russell, a 1952 graduate from McClymonds thought of the most effective gamers in NBA historical past, died in 2022 and would have turned 91 earlier this week. The Corridor of Famer’s widow, Jeannine Russell, cried tears of pleasure as she gave a heartfelt speech to the packed gymnasium. Carrying an outsized beige long-sleeve sweater worn by her late husband, Jeannine thanked Curry and the group for honoring Russell and his accomplishments on the courtroom and as a civil rights pioneer.
“I see today more than a tribute or a gift,” Jeannine mentioned. “It’s a chance for McClymonds to gain insight into what made Bill a champion. It wasn’t just his rebounding or his defense, but his unwavering belief in the power of education, leadership and standard for something greater than himself.”
Curry got here out to roars and screams as he entered the Oakland health club. However he wasn’t the one celeb that the younger children cheered for.
The premise of the video was for Curry and Gardner to compete in a 3-point contest with the winner receiving $100,000 from MrBeast himself. When requested if he was nervous to go up towards the best shooter of all time, Gardner mentioned, “Nah.”
Curry would go on to make 14 3s to Gardner’s 9, however it was all in good enjoyable. With the win, Curry donated $100,000 to the Eat.Be taught.Play. Basis – a charity arrange by Curry and his spouse Ayesha to assist younger youngsters’s well being and studying.
YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson, higher referred to as MrBeast, greets attendees at McClymonds Excessive Faculty in Oakland, Calif., earlier than the Oakland Unified Faculty District All-Star Basketball Sport on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (Dai Sugano/Bay Space Information Group)
However the spotlight of the evening was the Oakland Unified Faculty District All-Star Sport.
The co-ed sport featured among the finest highschool basketball gamers from the Oakland Athletic League, which included Ardarius Grayson (Oakland Tech), Dasean Armstrong (Oakland), Deyonte Spears (Fremont-Oakland), Brandon Davis (McClymonds), Jhai Johnson (Oakland Tech) and Terri’A Russell (Oakland Tech).
The groups have been coached by Jennings and Plum, who enthusiastically cheered on their gamers.
Johnson and Spears took house the sport MVPs as every put up bucket after bucket for his or her respective groups, scoring 15 factors every.
Whereas the aggressive rivalries of the OAL make the league as aggressive as it’s, Grayson cherished the truth that he was in a position to play alongside gamers who put on completely different uniforms in the course of the faculty week.
“I never thought I would play with some of these guys,” Grayson mentioned. “It was fun playing with and against them today. It was just a lot of fun.”
The historic day hit house for OAL commissioner Frankie Navarro. Navarro was an athlete at Castlemont, later working as a coach and administrator within the OUSD and was proud to see the wealthy historical past of Oakland highschool sports activities be honored.
“It’s always great for me to be able to see the things that we envision to come true,” Navarro mentioned. “The Bill Russell legacy, the school of champions legacy, will continue no matter what people say about it. … It’s good for these kids to see there’s positive things happening in Oakland.”
Former soccer participant Marshawn Lynch attends the Oakland Unified Faculty District All-Star Basketball Sport at McClymonds Excessive Faculty in Oakland, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (Dai Sugano/Bay Space Information Group)
