<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">LeBron James is again using his worldwide appeal to help lift his hometown. The Cavaliers star will host a trio of events at Akron's Perkins Park this weekend, starting with today's unveiling of five refurbished basketball courts. The ceremony, which begins at noon, is the first of a busy weekend for James. He will lend a helping hand throughout Saturday and Sunday's King of the Court, a 3-on-3 basketball tournament also taking place at Perkins Park. James will wrap up the weekend Sunday night when MTV and Nike team up for the filming of ``Nike Battlegrounds: King of the Court,'' a documentary-style show in its third season. A large turnout is expected throughout the weekend, especially for the taping of Battlegrounds, which is scheduled to begin airing on MTV and MTV2 in late August. In the newest season of the show, James issues a challenge to fellow NBA stars Ben Gordon of the Chicago Bulls and Andre Iguodala of the Philadelphia 76ers. Their mission: assemble two teams, one from Gordon's native New York, another from Iguodala's native Illinois. After weeks of training, trials and tribulation, players who made the two teams finally meet at Perkins Park to battle for playground supremacy. James serves as the host and emcee of the finals, which will air as an hour-long season finale in October. ``LeBron is bringing in some talented individuals to play basketball for entertainment,'' said Pastor Jimmy L. Taylor, staff pastor of The House of The Lord, a church James attended as a youth. ``I think it does place Akron on the map with respect to LeBron James.'' James' latest act of benevolence comes less than a month after he gathered hundreds of riders for his first King for Kids Bikeathon, which raised money for Akron-area YMCAs and the Akron Urban League. Today's ceremony will mark the completion of 10 renovated city courts by James and NikeGO (a community affairs program under the shoe company Nike) in the past two years. The partners refurbished five courts last year. It was at a ceremony last year when James challenged Buchtel High student Naomi Blake to make two free throws. If she sank a pair (which she did), James and Nike promised to renovate five more courts. Two of this year's court renovations are at Perkins Park, while Lane-Miller Sports Complex received two and Morgan Park got one renovation. ``I think LeBron has showed his commitment to the Akron area,'' said Taylor, whose 50-member church choir will sing two songs at halftime of the Battlegrounds game. ``He has a desire to try to do uplifting and positive things for the area.'' The weekend at Perkins Park is expected to attract a large gathering. Rap artist T.I. is scheduled to perform. Hip-hop icon Jay-Z is also rumored to be attending the event, but those reports couldn't be confirmed.</div> Source
