The high school basketball gym where Devin Booker played wasn’t spared by MS tornado
Moss Point High School took significant damage from the confirmed tornado that struck the town on Monday afternoon.
The beloved Arthur Haynes Gym was not spared by the storm. The roof on the west end of the gym appears to be torn off, allowing rainwater and debris to enter the gym.
The football stadium just down the street also took damage from the storm. The press box was ripped off the venue and destroyed, scattering debris around the area as the MPHS football team huddled in a nearby building, according to WLOX-TV.
NBA All Star Devin Booker, a Moss Point High grad, visited Haynes Gym in December for his jersey retirement ceremony. Booker announced during his visit plans to install a new court and locker rooms at the building.
Booker played dozens of high school basketball games in the gym and even announced his college choice, Kentucky, there. He led the Tigers to the 4A state finals in 2014 and scored 42 points in the championship game.
Booker also helped bring two outdoor courts to the community at Payne Street Park in 2021. He brought with him then-girlfriend Kendall Jenner. The couple was in Moss Point right before Hurricane Ida tore through the Mississippi Coast.
The damage done to Moss Point is worse than what Hurricane Katrina brought, according to residents. “This is just catastrophic, we’ve never seen anything like this in this area,” one lifelong resident told the Sun Herald.
This story was originally published June 20, 2023 at 1:11 PM with the headline "The high school basketball gym where Devin Booker played wasn’t spared by MS tornado."
