Cannady Court unveiled in NBA guard’s hometown of Mishawaka

MISHAWAKA, Ind. (WNDU) - A blossoming 574 hoops scene is giving flowers to one of the top talents to come out of the area in recent memory.

NBA player and Mishawaka native Devin Cannady received special recognition in hometown as he continues to help give kids right here in Michiana the chance to chase their dreams, too.

On a gorgeous Saturday afternoon in Mishawaka, Devin Cannady of the Orlando Magic had a special homecoming.

The all-new “Cannady Court” at Heroes Park was unveiled in honor of the former Marian Knights hoops star.

“We used to live over in this neighborhood, and Devin has opened up a park to the community,” said Jessica Cannady, Devin’s mother. “It’s a good time right now, in the way the world is, that everybody is just having a good time, loving each other, and being proud of someone that came this far.”

Devin says he wants the court to serve as a reminder of the things that helped him along his journey.

“Resilience, perseverance, really just having a dream and a goal,”  Devin said.

And they didn’t just slap his name on any old pickup court. Devin’s design style is all over this court.

“I pretty much was like ‘Hey, we’re going to do this. I’d like to have my personal touch and stamp and really feel for it,’” Devin said. “So, I used my brand, my company ‘Run Your Own Race,’ the logo, the finish line to really feed that message.”

“He came up with the idea of ‘Run Your Own Race’ and basically just says that everyone has their own journey and they’re on the process together,” Jessica said. “So, we’re all in this together and moving forward.”

In a time where the 574 basketball scene is thriving, the court is serving as a source of hope and inspiration for local hoopers, both past and present.

“We’ve always had talent,” says Cedric Moodie, South Bend basketball icon and mentor to Devin. “We’ve always had players that had NBA talent. But for whatever reasons, they just didn’t get the opportunity to make it.”

Cedric Moodie—a basketball legend in the neighboring city of South Bend—has been working with Cannady since college and says it’s great to see the community stand so strongly behind him.

“I’m super proud of Devin, man,” Moodie said. “He’s truly running his own race. I think this is great that they got a court named after him, especially somewhere where he grew up. And just to put on this event for the kids is really special. You can tell he has a good heart from just giving back to the community.”

A community that the Cannady family is thankful for.

“It’s just really exciting to see how much people came back to show him some love today,” Jessica said.

And believe it or not, Devin was recognized again on Saturday night. He threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the South Bend Cubs game.

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