A note from the editor:
My Culture Journal is a weekly series that consists of sharing a week in the cultural lives of Indy residents.
If you are interested in submitting a journal, please send me an email at jennifer.delgadillo@mirrorindy.org and tell me more about yourself.
Day One:
Grace Berger
8:30 a.m. It certainly feels like the NBA All-Star is in town! I start the day just like every other day, working out with my teammates, Erica Wheeler and Lexie Hull. We play 3-on-3 against the practice guys, which is always competitive.
11 a.m. I get a quick lift in before grabbing lunch and heading home downtown with my dog, Walnut. We take a long walk downtown and see all that’s going on for All-Star weekend.
5:45 p.m. It’s time to drive to Eminence, Ind. to watch a girls middle school basketball game. The game is part of the Indiana Statewide Knockout Tournament, a 92-county high school basketball celebration leading up to All-Star. It’s really cool to visit towns that I’ve never been to before, and to meet people for autographs and photos.
6:15 p.m. A woman comes up to me and says her daughter has a painting of me in her room. Sometimes I forget the amount of fans we have across the state — these girls look up to me and actually know my name.
7:25 p.m. After I get home, I eat dinner and take Walnut out one more time. With such a busy week, I’m looking forward to staying in and watching college basketball games on TV. I have a long week ahead of me.
Day Two:
Grace Berger
7:30 a.m. Walnut and I go out for a walk.
8 a.m. I head over to the gym for another workout with my teammates. After, we play against the practice guys and focus on conditioning exercises for about an hour.
12:15 p.m. After a big brunch, I stop by the Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital at Ascension St. Vincent to visit with some of the kids that are patients there. I have never been to this hospital before, but we’re immediately showered with greetings from some of the NBA guys — Boomer and the NBA Cares team. I see Jerome Williams, who I learn is also nicknamed “the Junkyard Dog.” Jerome is great and I can tell that he has spent a lot of time working with kids because he’s great at making them smile. There’s a portable basketball hoop that we haul from room to room for the kids to play with — the little things we do to make their day as fun as possible mean so much to me.
4 p.m. I’m home and plan to take it easy for the rest of the day. This week has already been so fulfilling and there’s still a lot more to do!
Day Three:
Grace Berger
12:30 p.m. Erica, Lexie and I go to Christamore House to celebrate the completion of one of 24 Legacy Projects across the state. In this case, new areas for the kids to relax and a basketball court. As we walk in, we see NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, Governor Holcomb, Mayor Hogsett and Myles Turner waiting to unveil the updates.
3 p.m. Walnut needs another walk. Downtown is becoming more busy, still I’m able to wind down watching some more ball to end the day.
Lexie Hull
8 a.m. I wake up, grab a quick bite and take my dog, Libby, out for a walk. Next: practice with Erica and Grace.
9:30 a.m. We play 4-on-4 and my boyfriend, Will, jumps in as a practice player as well. He played a few years of minor league baseball in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization so he’s able to hold his own.
11 a.m. I come back home to take Libby out and eat very quickly before the Christamore House visit.
12:30 p.m. At Christamore. I love seeing the kids and their new setup. We also hear what Myles Turner and commissioner Silver have planned for All-Star. Governor Holcomb and Mayor Hogsett are always at Fever games so I enjoy catching up with them as well — off the court!
6 p.m. My agency is hosting an event at The Bemberg, one of the cooler spots downtown. A bunch of brand sponsors and athletes are here. The highlight of the night is definitely meeting and talking to Pau Gasol.
Erica Wheeler
10:30 a.m. At Indiana Youth Group. We’re checking out the facilities and talking to the kids that visit there. It’s a super rewarding experience to hear what IYG is doing for people in the LGBTQ+ community. I’m very appreciative of their staff for all of the work they do.
Day Four:
Aliyah Boston
10:45 a.m. My plane lands in Indianapolis and I get to work right away! It’s so fun to be back and I’m looking forward to the weekend.
11:45 a.m. Grace and Lexie are done packing meals for families at Lucas Oil Stadium, so I take their spot and start packing as well. Yes, it’s a fun and interactive experience, but also extremely rewarding knowing all of us are able to help so many families.
5:30 p.m. I feel like my day is going by fast — earlier I was at one of the Jr. NBA Clinics running drills with kids. Next thing, I’m at the Adidas Hub interacting with Adidas athletes. It’s all the same day!
9 p.m. I’m at the Rising Stars game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse and I’m sure I have the best seats in the house. I catch up with Tyrese Haliburton, Myles Turner and the Pacers guys. We’re watching Bennedict Mathurin and Oscar Tshiebwe play as well. Those guys are very supportive of us and I love seeing how pumped they are.
Lexie Hull
8:30 a.m. I attend a breakfast with the Indianapolis International Airport board of directors where I meet some of the staff that help us get through security whenever we’re traveling as a team. And, believe me, it’s not always as easy when we’re going to other cities across the country. Seeing the basketball court in the middle of the airport is so funny — my family asked if I was able to go shoot on it!
10:30 a.m. Grace and I head over to Lucas Oil Stadium to pack meals as part of the 24 Hours of Service to pack one million meals for Central Indiana. People are moving in shifts and it’s pretty remarkable how many people it takes to get one million meals packed.
4 p.m. I enjoy some down time with my boyfriend Will and my dog Libby.
6:30 p.m. The Simon Family is hosting a reception for the NBA owners at Commission Row, next to the arena — it’s definitely a place that I’ll be back to. Knowing I’m in the same room as some of the most influential people in the world and having quick conversations with them is such an incredible experience.
Day Five:
Aliyah Boston
Erica Wheeler
11:30 a.m. At a Jr. NBA Clinic with a few other NBA and WNBA players. There are more than 500 kids from Indianapolis here and I think it’s amazing. I have my own basketball camps that I organize throughout the offseason, so it’s fun for me to see how they keep so many kids engaged on the court.
2 p.m. Watching Overtime Elite games with some of the top men’s basketball players in the country. Adidas creates an amazing atmosphere for these games — they always show me a lot of love. It’s really cool having these guys in town at the same time as All-Star weekend.
5 p.m. Another basketball clinic. This time at the YMCA with Myles Turner and Jaime Jacquez. They invited more than 50 kids to come out and have fun with us. Myles has always been great to work with while I’m in Indy. He always supports us.
Day Six:
Aliyah Boston
1:30 p.m. I’m signing autographs and taking photos with fans in the WNBA activation space at the NBA Crossover. Some kid took his shoe off for me to autograph, so that was certainly interesting! I’m having a great time with fans — this is the best weekend of the NBA season.
Day Seven:
Grace Berger
This was a week I’ll never forget. All the kids we got to interact with sharing the court with some of the biggest stars in basketball was incredible.
Lexie Hull
The city of Indianapolis did an incredible job welcoming so many fans from across the world for All-Star. This is one of those things you remember for the rest of your life.
Erica Wheeler
The Pacers, the city of Indianapolis and all of Pacers Sports & Entertainment showed out this weekend. Hopefully the NBA comes back for All-Star weekend, and I really hope the WNBA All-Star Game comes to Indy as well.
Aliyah Boston
My first year here in Indianapolis has been extremely memorable. From being drafted in April to the NBA All-Star Game this week, sometimes it’s hard to describe what it’s like being in a place that appreciates the game of basketball such as Indy.