School Board Says ‘No’ to Reebok Promotion : Inglewood: For $30,000 in renovations to the Monroe Junior High basketball courts, the company wanted its name displayed.

As part of a nationwide promotional campaign, the company that makes Reebok shoes is overhauling the basketball courts at Monroe Junior High School in Inglewood--the same ones where little Byron Scott had practiced his slam dunks and prepared for the day he would play for the Lakers.

In exchange for the $30,000 renovation, Reebok International Ltd. wanted company logos to be displayed on the new court surface and backboards.

Inglewood school board members graciously accepted the donation this week but, for the first time in the company’s two-year, 13-city promotion, someone said “no” to the logo request.

“We’re not in the business of advertising,” said Thomasina Reed, one of three board members who voted to table the logo request and reconsider it later. “Reebok thinks that every time one of our students shoots a basket, they are going to see the Reebok logo and want to buy their sneakers.”

John Morgan, Reebok’s director of marketing who conceived the promotion, said the logos are not what the program is all about.

“We would like to leave some mark behind,” he said. “I don’t think there’s a problem with that. We don’t want to over-commercialize it. I’m not expecting every kid in the neighborhood to go out and buy some of our sneakers.”

Reebok has already renovated Laker Coach Pat Riley’s hometown court in Schenectady, N.Y., Sacramento King forward Wayman Tisdale’s former court in Tulsa, Okla., and other courts in Boston, Atlanta and Chicago.

During the 3-2 vote, board Vice President Joseph Rouzan questioned whether it is proper to reject the logo after receiving a $30,000 gift.

“Do you think the children really care that when they shoot, the ball hits that logo?” Rouzan asked at the meeting.

He pointed out that board members recently accepted about $60,000 from Burger King to start an academic enrichment program at Hillcrest High School. The program sets up a so-called Burger King Academy. A sign for what Rouzan called “hamburger high school” now sits in front of Hillcrest.

But board member Lois Hill-Hale said there is a difference between a one-time $30,000 donation that brings continued advertising and the continuous academic program sponsored by Burger King.

Reed joined Hill-Hale and Zyra McCloud in refusing to approve the Reebok logos. President Larry Aubry, who opposed the logos too, sought tougher action. He criticized the majority for tabling the logos instead of voting them down, saying the majority just did not want to interrupt Saturday’s dedication.

The day after the vote, workers preparing the new courts at Monroe had already installed much of the equipment--logos and all--in preparation for the dedication ceremony at 3:30 p.m. Reebok officials, Inglewood Mayor Edward Vincent, Scott and some of his Laker teammates will attend.

District spokesman Maurice Wiley said workers may have to paint over the Reebok logos if the school board insists.

In addition to Inglewood, the shoe company plans to upgrade courts in Baltimore for Atlanta Hawk forward Dominique Wilkins, in Chicago for Atlanta Hawk guard Doc Rivers and in Compton for Boston Celtic guard Dennis Johnson. A special dedication is planned July 28 in Philadelphia for Hank Gathers, the Loyola Marymount star who died during a game March 4.

Kevin M. Healey, an account executive for the New York City advertising agency that represents Reebok, said the logos are tastefully done and “don’t scream Reebok.”

“It’s subtle,” he said. “The kids love the fact that it’s Reebok that’s doing it. They go around saying, ‘Reebok gave us a court.’ ”

Healey said the Reebok logo has never caused a real problem before.

Reebok renovated courts at the Challengers Boys and Girls Club in South-Central Los Angeles last year. Director of operations Carl Reed said neighborhood children considered the new courts “the greatest thing that’s happened since ice cream.”

The logo?

“We really didn’t mind because it shows our consideration for their work,” he said. “It’s like giving them a plaque.”

At the Inglewood school board meeting Wednesday night, Reed said there is a principle involved. “We have no obligation to allow a corporate logo,” she said. “Is the mayor going to allow them to put a logo on City Hall?”