Unselds School in South Baltimore has been modernized through a project that honors legendary basketball player Wes Unseld.

Officials from the Washington Wizards and Heart of America held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday to unveil the school’s renovations. It was part of a legacy campaign to celebrate the NBA’s 75th anniversary.

The renovations have been welcomed as the building has declined over the years, said Unseld’s son, Wes Unseld Jr., Wizards head coach and the school’s first graduate.

“To help spruce up the space, it’s impactful,” he said. “For the children, it helps bring new life and energy to the building.”

Wes Unseld, who died June 2, 2020, opened the school with his wife, Connie, in 1978. Located at 250 S. Hilton St. in the Saint Josephs neighborhood, the school is one of the few fully accredited, non-church-affiliated, black-owned schools in Maryland.

Renovations include a refreshed basketball court, learning garden and outdoor benches. The parent lounge and school signage have also been updated, and an area has been added to honor Wes Unseld’s legacy.

A large poster of a young Wes in his Baltimore Bullets jersey hangs on the wall. Two cabinets containing memorabilia, including one of his shoes and many framed photos, help students learn and remember who he was.

Connie Unseld said the Legacy Room “makes me really happy” because “the kids who come after it won’t know”., unless we have something permanent.

Wes Unseld had been ill for about two years before he died, Connie Unseld said. She then shifted her focus to the school, which has been reduced to 20 students due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“It was such a relief for me to hear them say, ‘We would like to come in and freshen up the building,'” she said.

The NBA Foundation, on the recommendation of the Wizards, awarded Heart of America $25,000 for the renovations, a Monumental Sports & Entertainment spokesperson said. Monumental and the Wizards have helped with additional resources, she said.

Team owner Ted Leonsis says the franchise wants to honor Unseld, the Hall of Famer who served as the organization’s vice president, head coach and general manager after his playing career ended in 1981. .

“It’s not about the Unseld name, it’s about the kids,” Leonsis told the crowd on Wednesday. “It’s about planting the legacy of what this family believed in. We’re talking about equity in education and equity in opportunity and that’s what it’s all about. works in this school.”

For much of the day, volunteers put the finishing touches inside and outside the school. Students in attendance participated in a Wizards-run basketball clinic and ate pizza.

Her daughter Kim Unseld, principal and teacher at Unselds School, said the project had brought the school back to life and reminded the community that the school exists.

“It’s nice to be able to open up to the community and say, ‘Hey, here we are. We are always here. We continue to be tough. We always do the right thing,” she said. “The only downside is I wish dad had been there to see it.”