Late NBA player and South Philadelphia native, Rasual Butler, honored with court-length mural at Chew Playground
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A mural honoring the late NBA player and South Philadelphia native, Rasual Butler, was unveiled on Saturday morning at the Chew Playground.
City Council President Kenyatta Johnson and Mural Arts Philadelphia partnered up to debut the mural designed by Ivben Taqiy, Calo Rosa, and Cristian Esquerrena, among other Mural Arts Rec Crew members.
The eye-catching, intricate mural commemorates Butler's career as a professional player while paying homage to his Point Breeze roots. Butler graduated from Roman Catholic High School and attended La Salle University before playing in the NBA for over a decade, from 2002 to 2016.
The mural, which covers an entire outdoor basketball court, pulls colors from some of the teams Butler played for which include the Miami Heat, the formerly known New Orleans Hornets, the LA Clippers, the Chicago Bulls, the Toronto Raptors, the Indiana Pacers, the Washington Wizards and the San Antonio Spurs.
Butler's oldest sister, Rashidah Butler-Taylor, attended the unveiling and told CBS News Philadelphia she was overwhelmed with joy at the finished product.
"I can't even wrap my mind around it. It's remarkable," Butler-Taylor said. "It means a lot to our family to honor our brother's legacy. He did a lot in the community."
Butler was killed in a car crash in Studio City, California, back in January 2018. He was just 38 years old.
Butler-Taylor said this was the court her brother grew up on.
"My brother, he learned how to play basketball on this court. He went here every day, day in and day out," she said. "He would even sneak out of the house sometimes to play basketball on this court."
Butler-Taylor expressed that this would be a place where the younger generation could come, be inspired and have something to look forward to.
"He [Butler] would be in tears if he were here," she said, "He would have a speech that he wouldn't have to write down it would just actually flow off his tongue."
The basketball courts will also be renamed Rasual Butler Basketball Courts following legislation Johnson introduced that was approved in 2023.