Tilden Houses - The Seven STARS COURT
Tilden Houses in Brownsville, Brooklyn
Hoopbus, worked with residents of Tilden Houses, the office of Neighborhood Safety (ONS), and the Neighborhood Safety Initiatives team, to refurbish its first court in Brooklyn serving the Brownsville community - The Seven Stars Court in Tilden Houses. The Seven Stars Court is part of the Mayor’s Action Plan for Neighborhood Safety NeighborhoodStat, an initiative aimed at enhancing community well-being in NYCHA developments since 2018.
The court represents legacy. Generations of Brownsville community members sat around a table to discuss what they wanted represented in the central focal point of their neighborhod. Through two meetings in partnership with the Tilden Houses’ Neighborhood Stat Stakeholder team, the Hoopbus team designed a tribute for the seven world champion boxers Mike Tyson, Zab Judah, Riddick Bowe, Shannon Briggs, Daniel Jacobs, Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, and Alabama Davis who hailed from Brownsville. Each star symbolizes the importance of homecoming and the responsibility to inspire those who continue to chase their dreams.
To celebrate the new space Hoopbus hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony on June 28th, in congruence with the end of a 53-year Knicks Championship drought.
Jammel Thompson (middle) and Brownsville Community Members
“This project felt special for many reasons, it was Hoopbus’ first court project in Brooklyn, and we got to utilize an experimental painting technique. The most significant part was witnessing how deeply meaningful the court is to the community and how much they embraced and appreciated our work together. ”
Community celebration post ribbon-cutting
Tilden residents gathered on the sun-soaked court to compete and celebrate each other. Jammel Thompson, a leader in the Tilden community, spoke openly about the grief and pain caused by gun violence in their neighborhood. In that way, the court stands as more than a place to play basketball - it’s a symbol of hope and a brighter future for Brownsville.
The community also gathered for a meal and fresh cuts
Celebration post championship game
Special Thanks
Artists: Jeremy John Kaplan, Blake
Event Producers: Tobias DiMarco, Zak Miller and Coco Barton
Tilden NeighborhoodStat Stakeholder Team
Mayors Action Plan (MAP) Engagement Coordinator: Jammel Thompson
Office of Neighborhood Safety: Morounranti Ogunleye, Naudia Williams, Sharon Worrell
New York City Housing Authority: Ronald Grant, Vaidehi Mody, Michael Wyands, Leroy Williams, Joanne Wu
Tilden Houses Resident Association: Gina Boatright
Neighborhood Safety Initiatives: Aren Castro, Marisa Cooke, Kartika Fuentes, Layman Lee, Rui Li, Karl Rivera, Jose Torres, Kareem Whyte
Volunteers: Joshua Paul Oglesby, Chloe Oglesby, Tatum Brown and others
Photographers: Tyler Thompson & Charlie Treymasters
Written By: Coco Barton
Updated 9/17/2026: This post was updated by Gaby Kofler to recognize additional partners.