Ex-NBA Player Donates Basketball Court To South Jersey Hometown's Park

MOUNT LAUREL, NJ — A former NBA player has donated an outdoor basketball court to his South Jersey hometown.

Jason Thompson and his namesake foundation funded a new court for Laurel Acres Park — the Mount Laurel park's first. The township will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 1:30 p.m. Oct. 5.

Thompson grew up playing sports on the Laurel Acres Park fields, he said last May.

"(The park) is popular with Mount Laurel residents, and residents from surrounding towns come to enjoy the park’s many amenities," Thompson said in a news release from the township. "The addition of a full-sized basketball court will allow both children and adults the opportunity to practice and host games on an NBA-style court."

A Mount Laurel native, Thompson led Lenape High School to the 2004 New Jersey Group IV state title. After four seasons with Rider University, the Kings selected him 12th overall in the 2008 NBA Draft.

From 2008-15, Thompson played 541 games for the Kings — a franchise record since the team's move to Sacramento. After another season split between the Warriors and Raptors, the big man finished his NBA career averaging 8.9 points and 6.6 rebounds per game.

Thompson played several more seasons overseas before January 2022, when he joined the Wisconsin Herd — the G League affiliate of the Milwaukee Bucks. Last October, he announced his retirement from professional hoops.

In 2010, he founded the Jason Thompson Foundation to honor his cousin, Tiffany Carroll, who died from heart disease at age 25. The foundation continues to honor her memory by raising awareness about heart disease in athletes, children and young adults.

Thompson also created the L.I.V.E. Like JT community initiative, which encourages young people to use their voices to advocate for positive change. The L.I.V.E Like JT Fourth Annual Bike Giveaway took place May 6 in Laurel Acres Park, where 50 children from the Boys & Girls Club of Gloucester County each received a bicycle and helmet.

Laurel Acres Park is located at 1045 S Church St.