NCCU coach LeVelle Moton grateful to have hometown Raleigh park renamed in his honor

Raleigh, N.C. — LeVelle Moton Park is officially open in Raleigh.

The City of Raleigh renamed the park on Saturday in honor of the local philanthropist and men's head basketball coach at North Carolina Central.

Moton grew up playing basketball at that same park, formally known as Lane Street Park. There was a dedication ceremony, and a statue by local artist Stephen Hayes was unveiled.

"I'm fortunate and blessed enough to accomplish a lot of things in life," said Moton. "But I always come back here. Because this is, you know, the more you accomplish it becomes more Hollywood and you now that's not who I truly am. You know, I do what I gotta do but this is who I truly am. This is Levelle."

Moton has also invested in affordable housing, and runs the Velle Cares Foundation, a group aimed at educating and enriching organizations that work with young people and families. The foundation has partnered with Google to help some low-income Triangle residents prepare for careers in information technology.

A mural of Moton was completed in Raleigh in December. The 47-year-old head coach grew up in Raleigh, playing at Enloe High before suiting up for NCCU from 1992 to 1996.

As a coach, Moton has led the Eagles to four MEAC championships since 2014.