On Monday, YouTube and the Parks Department announced plans to renovate the basketball courts in Tompkins Square Park to create the “perfect court” with help from YouTube stars Dude Perfect.
During Monday’s event, the Dude Perfect guys were on hand to shoot hoops with their fans and community members. Dude Perfect, who recently topped 5 million subscribers, are best known for their trick shots and comedy videos.
The renovations will include resurfacing the basketball courts entirely with new concrete, new hoops and new paint. The revamped courts will reopen at the end of June.
“Tompkins Square Park is one of New York’s best-loved green spaces, and the basketball courts have played host to generation of players,” said Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver. “NYC Parks is grateful to Dude Perfect and YouTube for their generous effort to give the East Village a refurbished place to shoot hoops this summer.”
Gale Brewer, Manhattan borough president, said, “I’m proud to work with YouTube and Google as a whole, a tech industry leader that takes its role in our community seriously.”
Adam Relis, head of YouTube Space New York, said
“For myself and the rest of the 4,500 employees at Google and YouTube here in New York, this too is our neighborhood,” he said. “On behalf of them and our YouTube stars here, Dude Perfect, we’re renovating this important community space.”
Google bought YouTube for $1.65 billion in 2006.
Dude Perfect’s members include Coby and Cory Cotton, Garrett Hilbert, Cody Jones and Tyler Toney, all former high school basketball players and college roommates at Texas A&M University. They have worked with sports celebrities from around the world, as well as charities, including Charity Water.
Hilbert said, “We at Dude Perfect believe in the importance of having fun with those in your community — that is how we all come together! We hope this new court will encourage people to get outside, get some exercise, shoot some hoops and make every day game day.”
