Viale Lazio Court
The newly refurbished court in Milan at Viale Lazio, marks the second of three courts set to be revamped in Europe this summer, aiming to provide fundamental roots to grow the local game across Europe.
The recently restored Milan court will bring a new identity to this diverse, creative and modern neighbourhood of the city. The court design was developed by local artist Davide Barco to represent Milan’s famous white marble duomo. It is similar when it comes to street basketball and while there are many playgrounds in the main municipality area and hundreds around the metropolitan city, there are only a few downtown. With that in mind, Foot Locker selected Viale Lazio as the location of the new city basketball court because of the nearby ‘porte’ and given it is on one of the main ‘viali’ of the city.
“I am thrilled about this project. I took my inspiration from the thought ‘How crazy and amazing could it be to play a pickup game inside the dome of Milan?’ The court is inspired from the main floor of white marble tiles of the dome, with a twist of red and blue to connect with the key colours of the NBA. In this way, we will have the dome of basketball in Milan, with a floor directly inspired by the main history of the city.” Davide Barco, the court designer.
As part of the brand’s commitment to raising the game in Milan, Foot Locker has also teamed up with Da Move Crew, an association created in 2000 to promote basketball at all levels: freestyle, streetball, and organized clubs. Da Move Crew is dedicated to social change and uses sports and entertainment to bring people together. Foot Locker has partnered with Da Move Crew to elevate the sport of basketball through a new digital coaching solution, providing equipment for clinics and upgrading the digital platform in which to grow the game, not just in Milan, but throughout Italy.
“In these 20 years we have been proudly rocking many top clubs, corporations, events, jerseys or uniforms, but today is different because now is the dawn of a new era… We feel the same as we did that day, just way more aware of our roles. With this new Milan court, we are partnering with Foot Locker and we feel everything is aligned: we have a common goal and we will RAISE THE GAME". Lorenzo Pinciroli, Da Move Crew founder.
“As part of our commitment to inspire and empower youth, basketball continues to be a long-term focus for our brand for what it represents: community, inclusivity, hope and empowerment. We have already provided the local grassroots communities in Paris and Barcelona with tools and the support to thrive, and with this next step in Milan, we hope to continue helping the roots of a sport and culture that represents our values as a brand, thorough Europe.” Susie Kuhn, SVP & GM at Foot Locker Europe.
