Renton dedicated the refurbished basketball courts at Liberty Park Saturday, recognizing the contribution of NBA star Jamal Crawford that helped make the work possible.

Crawford, who spent his early childhood and youth in Renton, spent countless hours at the Liberty Park courts, developing his basketball skills.

Saturday, Mayor Denis Law gave the Atlanta Hawks star the key to the city.

“Jamal, you have honored Renton, not just with your outstanding abilities to play basketball, but also with your generous spirit,” Law said.  “We are extremely proud of your ties to Renton and it is my pleasure to present you with a key to the city,” said Mayor Denis Law.

The donation from the Jamal Crawford Foundation was more than $50,000 to to refurbish what’s now known as the Jamal Crawford Court. The donation also committed to 10 years of maintenance costs for normal wear and tear for each of the basketball courts, including backboard replacement at five years, surface cleaning and re-surfacing.

“Being a great basketball player has always been important to me.  Being a great person was more important,” said Crawford.  He also thanked his family and the Renton community.

Construction on the Liberty Park project began Sept. 6.  The foundation’s contractors applied a new acrylic surface on the full court and the two half courts; painted the courts, including a new “Jamal Crawford Court” logo and a side foundation logo; installed new bleachers, and placed an informational plaque about Jamal’s history on the court.

The contractors removed the existing basketball goals and installed new “Goalrilla” goal systems.

Born in Seattle in 1980, Crawford was an All-American basketball star at Rainier Beach High School and led the team to a state championship in 1998.  After spending one season at the University of Michigan, Jamal was a NBA first-round draft pick.

Jamal has since played for the Chicago Bulls (2000-2004), the New York Knicks (2004-2008), the Golden State Warriors (2008-2009) and the Atlanta Hawks (2009-2011).  He plays shooting guard and point guard.

He has committed to partnering with the Renton community on a long-term basis to assist those in need, particularly youth, according to the city.