Chambers Park, a community center in Kissimmee, now sports an exciting new look with new amenities.
The Orlando Magic teamed with AdventHealth and other corporate partners to provide a new basketball court, activity room and community garden.
It was all unveiled Wednesday among Magic members, Chambers Park and city employees at the center on Smith Street in North Kissimmee.
The team was represented by current players Caleb Houston and Chuma Okeke, and Magic legends-turned team community ambassadors Bo Outlaw, Nick Anderson and mascot Stuff the Magic Dragon.
This furthers the connection into the city and county forged this year when the Magic brought their NBA G League development team to town. The now-called Osceola Magic, also represented Wednesday, begin a home stand of five games at the Silver Spurs Arena in 14 days on Thursday, Nov. 18 against the Westchester Knicks.
Leave it to the outgoing Outlaw to get use out of the new court, as he put a number of the community center after-school program members through a basketball skills clinic.
The court now features a team-blue color scheme and, in honor of its 35th year in the NBA, the retro Orlando Magic logo. Inside the community center, the teen activity room now has a pool and foosball tables, an indoor basketball shooting game, a reading area and a number of televisions. A new garden breathes new life into a corner of the center’s outdoor space.
“You can’t hardly recognize it; these kids deserve it,” Kissimmee Mayor Olga Gonazlez said, noting she grew up at community centers in her native New York just like Chambers Park.
“This park is an important gathering place for our community for years, and projects like this fit perfectly into our commitment to providing top-quality programs and venues to our residents. This project highlights the power of community unity. We are honored that the Magic chose Chambers Park for this. There is a mechanism of escape at places like this.”
Okeke said he grew up and came to love basketball on a court and center just like at Chambers Park. Houstan, representing another prior generation, echoed that.
“It’s a great thing for the kids to have somewhere they can come and play, have fun, build relationships and just get away from everything,” Houston said. “And it’s great to be here and give back, I was excited to see NBA players in person at that age.”
Chambers Park is named for Cornelius Chambers, a Kissimmee native who fought for the country, and died in the Vietnam War. The city and team honored Kissimmee employee Tanya Williams, one of Chambers’ surviving relatives.
