Dallas

Nancy Lieberman Honors Fallen Friend with ‘Dream Court' in Oak Cliff

Former Dallas Carter and Texas Tech basketball standout, Andre Emmett, who was killed in September 2019, has court at Dallas YMCA named after him

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Basketball legend Nancy Lieberman was part of an emotional ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday night.

“Over the last two years, we had formed this inseparable bond,” said Lieberman as she spoke about her friend Andre Emmett, who was killed outside his home in September 2019.

Lieberman dedicated her 90th “Dream Court” to her fallen friend.

“The 89 courts meant a lot but this was about somebody who I dearly loved and didn’t have to lose his life for us to build a court for him,” said Lieberman.

Emmett was once a basketball standout at Carter High School before going on to Texas Tech and playing professionally overseas.

His mother, Regina Oliver, remembers how much the idea of a 'Dream Court' with his name on it meant to her son.

“Every time he would call, it would be a 10 or 12 hour difference time frame and this was the hot topic of the court and doing things for the children,” said Oliver.

With the YMCA a prime gathering place for many kids in the Oak Cliff area, a state-of-the-art basketball court will give them a safe place to play and learn lessons about teamwork and good sportsmanship.

“Young people who live in this community and who will come to this community will have an opportunity to play,” said Dallas City Council member Casey Thomas II.

The court is a reality thanks to teamwork with Toyota which helped pay for the $68,000 project.

“We’re just people trying to do our job to help others and when you have someone like (Toyota) who believes in what Andre did and what Regina has felt about her son, we’re doing the right thing,” said Lieberman.

Lieberman doing the right thing and allowing Andre Emmett’s legacy to shine long after he's gone.

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