INDIANAPOLIS — Sixth graders on the northeast side of Indianapolis are helping the city get ready for the NBA All-Star Game in February. The students are writing love letters to basketball for the thousands of guests expected to enjoy our city.
As captain of his boys basketball team, sixth grader Chevy Williams said the game has taught him a lot.
"We have practice Monday through Thursday. And we do drills, and I learned a lot of new stuff when we were playing," said Williams said.
Williams and his classmates at Charles Warren Fairbanks School 105 are excited to be sharing the "new things" with guests of the NBA All-Star Game next year.
"On my card, I said I hope they win all their games, stay focused, work hard and play to the end," Williams said.
IPS students and other community members filled out 8,000 love letters to basketball to welcome the thousands of fans who will be here. The letters will be placed in downtown hotel rooms.
Kendra-Lee Smith is another player who likes to hit the court, but in more ways than one. A basketball player and a cheerleader, she explains that she’s growing every day because of the game.
"Practice is fun but hard at the same time. Like if we lose a game, how many points we lost by, we have to run," Smith said.
And with the goal of being a future WNBA player for the Indiana Fever, she's clear about her message to fans visiting in 2024.
"Sometimes you lose, sometimes you win. Have confidence, do not doubt yourself because you got it!" Smith said.
It's a special dose of “Hoosier hospitality” for a weekend that's expected to be impactful in a number of ways.