Grizzlies unveil new Dream Court at Northeast Prep in Memphis
The short version
- The Grizzlies unveiled their second annual Dream Court at Northeast Prep on Sept. 25, with players Cam Boozer and Jaylen Wells attending.
- The renovation replaced two worn parking-lot hoops with new goals, backboards, rims, nets, benches and artwork by Siphne Sylve.
- PE teacher Joseph Wells completed a roughly 20-page application after learning of the program through a team newsletter.
- The Dream Court series honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s message and vision by refurbishing Memphis-area courts.
The NBA team's second annual Dream Court project turned a worn parking lot into a dedicated basketball space for the alternative school's students.
The Memphis Grizzlies revealed their second annual Dream Court on Sept. 25 at Northeast Prep, an alternative school in Memphis. The project overhauled the school's outdoor area with a pair of new basketball goals, complete with backboards, rims and nets. Benches and hand-painted artwork by Memphis artist Siphne Sylve were also added. Players Cam Boozer and Jaylen Wells made a surprise appearance at the ceremony.
Conditions before the renovation were rough. Students played on two hoops set up in a deteriorated parking lot, one of which lacked a backboard, with no regulation markings on the surface. Teachers at times needed to reposition their vehicles so classes could use the area. Joseph Wells, the school's 44-year-old physical education teacher, quipped that the old goal might predate him.
For Wells, the upgrade carries significance beyond the sport itself. He views it as a way to provide structure, keep students engaged and offer hope to the surrounding neighborhood. He said he wants the students to unite and help revive the area.
The Dream Court initiative is part of the Grizzlies' broader effort to refurbish courts around Memphis while honoring the message and vision of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Wells teaches roughly 134 students each day across grades 9 through 12, many of whom attend the alternative school only temporarily. Over five years, he has worked to make their limited time at the school count. Before moving into education, he coached youth football, where he saw the directions some players were heading and concluded he could have a bigger influence by being around them more often. He reasoned that extra time with kids could keep them out of trouble, and he wanted to serve as a mentor that some of his students lacked.
Northeast Prep produces only about three to six athletes annually, according to Wells, and he has observed that many of those students struggle once their seasons finish. The school's facilities compounded the challenge. To run a PACER test, Wells once had to hire a lawn service, section off a space and construct his own field. Basketball practices were confined to the parking lot.
Wells' connection with the Grizzlies began at a STEM kit event, where he folded the materials into lessons showing students that pro sports careers exist outside of playing, such as athletic trainers or physicians. He later subscribed to a team email newsletter and found the Dream Court application there, initially doubting it was legitimate.
The application ran roughly 20 pages and consumed three to four days of work, including an essay and photos of the existing court. Wells treated it like a legal filing, determined to submit it without errors, and kept the attempt secret from colleagues out of superstition. The staff learned Northeast Prep was a finalist, and shortly before Christmas, Wells answered an unknown caller during class on a hunch. It was the Grizzlies with news that the school had won.
The timing resonated deeply with Wells, whose mother died in 2019 and father in 2021. The unveiling fell two days after his father's birthday, and he said he wished his parents could have witnessed the moment. He has no plans to step away from the work, saying he intends to stay until they throw him out because he loves the job.
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