Community comes together to celebrate Wali “Wonder” Jones’ mural unveiling

PHILADELPHIA—You had to be in this space… a community gathering of family, friends, fans, and supporters came out to H.U.B. Playground at 3700 Mt. Vernon Street on Friday, July 21, 2023, to celebrate the unveiling of a mural, designed and installed by Mural Arts honoring the former Philadelphia 76ers champion and legend Wali “Wonder” Jones.
Wali “Wonder” Jones, a lifetime resident of West Philadelphia, lived through the challenges of gangs and the struggles that faced our communities, playing basketball at Overbrook High School and Villanova before going on to become a famous NBA player, playing for the Baltimore Bullets, the Philadelphia 76ers, the Milwaukee Bucks, the Detroit Pistons and the Utah Stars. Throughout his years in basketball, and even until today, Wali is known for his dedication to the community and educating youth.
As “Wali” came to the podium to speak of the mural and his acceptance of the honor; he shared a few short stories of his life growing up in West Philadelphia; honoring his father, a coach himself who is 106 years of age, and in good health and spirits; acknowledging many of his friends, both from the community and professionals who have been with him, and then he spoke about the mural. Wali shared his conversations with the artists and the special request he gave them as they prepared the artwork. He specifically stressed the need for his mural to be representative of the youth, not him and his success in the NBA, but his commitment to youth, so Wali’s mural shows not just him playing ball but youth playing as well. That alone says a lot about his character, the man behind the NBA uniform.
It is amazing to see and hear the life stories and the commitment of those in our communities who contribute each and every day to our success. There are many more people (from our communities and those who still live here) working to better our communities and our lives, more than many would like us to believe. And many of those men, and women, stood on the playground honoring “Wali” Wonder, who, mind you, does not physically live in Philadelphia but comes home many times throughout the year to run programs for youth in our city.
Stories like this are what we should see, hear and share because this is what we are made of. Congratulations, Wali “Wonder” Jones, on this honor, and thank you for your love for home and commitment to our youth. (To see a video of “Wali” Wonder Jones, visit the ScoopUSA Media YouTube page.)