Celtics bring Waltham boy a supreme court

Towering above a crowd of excited fans and television crews, former Celtics great Cedric Maxwell opened his arms and with a big grin summoned the Carter family around him.

Pulling wide-eyed 12-year-old Jordan Carter and his sister, 8-year-old Sydney, closer, Maxwell joked, "Everybody get in. This is gonna be a family Christmas card."

Seeing that 7-year-old Matthew Lopez was feeling a bit shy, Maxwell waved to him, "Come on in, little dude." Lopez braced himself for his special moment, pursing his lips together tightly and holding his breath.

The camera flashed, and Lopez's nervous little face suddenly broke into a huge smile as he skipped back to his mother.

Maxwell and Celtics guard Eddie House went to the Carters' home yesterday to present a "home court makeover," making Jordan Carter a star for a day.

Star-struck neighborhood kids and grown men, who did not hide their excitement over getting to meet the Celtics yesterday, seemed thrilled with all of Maxwell's jokes as they waited their turn for an autograph or brief exchange.

Maxwell, House and Re/Max New England took part in the makeover, which involved creating a basketball court and installing a new backboard and hoop, a scoreboard, a ball rack, and other Celtics-themed accoutrements.

They also gave Jordan Carter's bedroom a makeover, putting Celtics pillows and blankets on his bed, an enormous green Celtics banner in front of his window and a giant Celtics rug in the middle of his room. They painted the team's logo on the walls.

When it was all set, House and Maxwell signed Jordan's bedroom wall and the massive Celtics logo on his new basketball court.

A panel of media judges chose Jordan Carter, a student at McDevitt Middle School, for the honor because they were moved by his mother's letter, said Jay Hummer, regional director and executive vice president at Re/Max.

"It was the fact that Jordan had been through so many operations, and just loves to play basketball so much. He had a lot of surgeries for his hands, and it's a very difficult thing for a young person to go through," Hummer said.

"We thought this would be an exceptional opportunity for him," said Hummer.

In her letter, Sandy Carter explained that Jordan was born with only one toe, and out of 10 fingers, only two are fully formed.

He had his first surgery at 6 weeks old, and his biggest surgery at age 2, when his single toe was transplanted from his foot to his hand to create a ring finger on his left hand, she wrote.

"He was in large casts for weeks, and the only thing that made him happy was shooting baskets. He loves running up and down the court, and he plays with such a big heart," Sandy Carter wrote.

Jordan saved $150 to buy a new hoop, she said.

Yesterday, she called the dedication a success.

Her son got so much attention from Maxwell, House, other youths and the media, she hardly got to see his reactions during the commotion, she said.

"It's really cool how they signed our driveway, and his room. I guess I'll never get to paint his room now," she said, laughing.

"It's pretty amazing, surreal. I think Jordan's completely overwhelmed. He's been such a fan of basketball since he was 2 - he loves the sport, loves the team," she said.

Taking a brief respite from playing basketball with his friends on his new home court, Jordan Carter said the entire day was a lot of fun.

"They're funny," he said, referring to Maxwell and House.

The best part, he said, was "Getting to see the pros, and playing with Eddie's son."

Neighbor Christy Macary said the event was "fantastic and very exciting for Jordan."

"He deserves it. He's a very special kid," she said.

He often babysits her daughter, 7-year-old Kennedy Macary, and they spend a lot of time playing outside, she said.

"This is the highlight of the summer for both of them. Eddie House is great - the kids are so excited. It means a lot to them," said Macary.

As part of the program, House and Maxwell also held a one-hour basketball clinic for 100 children at the Waltham Boys & Girls Club, with the Cartoon Network following the home court makeover.

Joyce Kelly can be reached at 781-398-8005 or jkelly@cnc.com.