OPEN Basketball Courts near Oakland Right Now!

LAST UPDATED: JANUARY 24TH, 2021

Looking to get shots up but haven’t found an open court in the Oakland area? We got your back. We’ve scouted out all outdoor basketball courts around Oakland to figure out which ones are currently open (with hoops & rims) and have put together this running list for the community.

We will do our best to keep this list up-to-date, but things may change pretty quickly in this environment. Please email us at info@squadz.com if you find any of these courts have been closed.

Note from The Squadz Team: We do not condone reckless use of facilities that might jeopardize the containment of the COVID-19 virus. Please wear a mask whenever possible and keep your distance from people outside of your group. We simply want this to be a helpful resource for families, roommates, or quarantine units to get outside and play responsibly.

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Curry Court at Manzanita Recreation Center [CURRENTLY CLOSED]

RESERVOIR HILL - E. 27TH ST.

Check out the brand new Curry Court at Manzanita Recreation Center in East Oakland. A few years ago a local hooper at this run down court tweeted at the Warriors squad asking for a renovation. Steph Curry responded with a beautiful new Warriors/Curry Brand themed sport court.

Linden Park

NORTH OAKLAND - 43RD ST.

Check out the basketball court at Linden Park in North Oakland near the Emeryville border. The court has recently been refurbished and is a great spot to work on your game.

Grove Shafter Park

MOSWOOD - MLK JR. WAY

Check out the basketball court at Grove Shafter park, right off the freeway. There are two hoops on MLK JR. Way as well as another half court on 34th St.

Claremont Ave. & Hudson St. Underpass

SHAFTER - CLAREMONT AVE.

Check out the full size basketball court with three hoops on Claremont Ave. and Hudson St. The court is hidden under the Shafter Freeway and right next to Frog Park.

West Oakland Middle School

WEST OAKLAND - 14TH ST.

Check out the two full size basketball courts at West Oakland Middle School. Make sure to visit these courts after school hours to ensure you do not interfere with class activities.

Emerson Elementary School

TEMESCAL - LAWTON AVE.

Check out the three full size basketball courts at Emerson Elementary School. However, the courts are located in a school and therefore have restricted access. Please make sure to visit these courts after school hours to ensure you do not interfere with class activities.

San Pablo Park

SOUTH BERKELEY - PARK ST.

Check out the three full size basketball courts down the road at San Pablo Park in Berkeley. These courts have lights, making San Pablo Park a great spot to work on your game after the sun goes down.

Aspire Berkley Maynard Academy

PARADISE PARK (BERKELEY) - HERZOG AVE.

Check out the basketball court down the road at Aspire Berkley Maynard Academy on Herzog Ave. and 63rd St. Once again, please make sure that you visit this court after school hours to ensure you do not interfere with class activities.

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If you check out any of these courts, tag us @squadz in your Instagram story to be featured on our account!

LOOKING FOR PLACES TO HOOP NEAR OAKLAND?

How to Safely Play Outdoors during COVID-19

If you’ve been reading any of our Playbook pieces or have been seeing any of our Instagram reels, you’re sure to have come across some open basketball court spaces in San Francisco that we’ve featured. As more and more recreation spaces are restored and reopened, we want to make sure that in addition to informing you where these spaces are, that we give you the best practices in order to use these spaces safely and responsibly. The reason why many of these spaces are becoming accessible again is because San Franciscans have been careful. As they open up, players should remain vigilant and continue to be careful. The SF Rec & Parks Department, SFUSD and others will close any of the courts they deem unsafe without hesitation. 

Without any further ado, let’s get into it!

Social Distancing

The CDC and San Francisco Department of Public Health recommend maintaining at least 6 feet of distance between yourself and those who are not part of your household or quarantine unit. For reference, the dimensions of a basketball court are as follows: from the basket to the top of the key (high school 3 pt arc) is about 20 feet. Keeping within the arc and a few steps outside of the arc across from the other half of a full sized basketball court will be totally safe! 

Bring your own equipment

Do NOT share any equipment with those outside of your household or quarantine unit. Before play, it is a good idea to sanitize the ball and each participant’s hands. Do not trust any equipment left around at the playground or court, only use your own. Before touching your face or drinking from your water bottle, sanitize your hands. Then sanitize your hands again afterwards before retouching the ball.

Partitioning/demarcation of spaces

The policy for playing on a public court in San Francisco is first come, first serve. There might not be many hoops available or open at any given time, so it’s in your best interest to come early and play before others try to push you off. It’s also best practice to relinquish your hold on a court if people have been waiting for a long time and you have had a good amount of time playing. Remember that we all are desperate to play again.

NO bathroom/water fountain access

We do not recommend using public water fountains or bathrooms. The SF Public Works Dept does a wonderful job of cleaning public facilities, but why take the risk? Use your toilet at home, and keep your time on the court dedicated to improving your game.

Masks ON

It is currently mandated in San Francisco and the state of California to wear face coverings in public spaces – including outdoor basketball courts. Even though we know it’s difficult to play in, for maximum safety we strongly encourage wearing a mask and only pulling it down to drink water or catch your breath at a distance. While indoors, in no circumstance should you remove your face covering.

Sweat is safe

There is NO evidence that COVID-19 is transmittable via sweat. There IS evidence that it is transmittable through the air via respiratory transmission and on frequently touched surfaces if you touch your nose, eyes, or mouth. 

NO High Fives or Daps

If there’s one thing that I miss most about life pre-covid, it’s the physical interaction & closeness with family and friends. This extends into sports, especially into team dynamics. Whether you’ve been playing on a team for years or minutes, there’s an instant and lasting bond that cements its players together. In the spirit of competition and sportsmanship, the compulsion to high five, dap, pound or praise a teammate is natural. Unfortunately, it isn’t COVID-safe. We recommend if you have to touch a teammate, to use your elbows! 

Gametypes

Not sure how to keep yourself busy while you’re on the court? Lucky for you, the Squadz Team has put together a few games, drills and activities you can do while on the court! They’re fun, safe, and most of them don’t require more than 1 person to do. Besides, you can always compete against yourself!

Fun with friends & family:

• Around the world

• Shootout

• H.O.R.S.E.

Solo Improvement:

• Spot Shooting

• Form Shooting

• Larry Bird Shooting

• Free Throw Drill

• Mikan Drill

• Sideline Shooting

• One Minute Layups

Check out the list of games below! We’ve provided visual aids for your convenience.

OPEN Basketball Courts in Austin Right Now!

LAST UPDATED: December 17th, 2020

Looking to get shots up but haven’t found an open court in Austin? We got your back. We’ve scouted out all outdoor basketball courts around Austin to figure out which ones are currently open (with hoops & rims) and have put together this running list for the community.

We will do our best to keep this list up-to-date, but things may change pretty quickly in this environment. Please email us at info@squadz.com if you find any of these courts have been closed.

Note from The Squadz Team: We do not condone reckless use of facilities that might jeopardize the containment of the COVID-19 virus. Please wear a mask whenever possible and keep your distance from people outside of your group. We simply want this to be a helpful resource for families, roommates, or quarantine units to get outside and play responsibly.

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Alama Pocket Park [CURRENTLY CLOSED]

CHERRYWOOD - ALAMO ST.

Check out the basketball courts at Alama Pocket Park in Cherrywood. This park has an incredible basketball culture with multiple blacktop courts covered by an overhang to provide shade and the feel of playing in an arena.

Beverly S. Sheffield Northwest District Park [CURRENTLY CLOSED]

ALLANDALE - ARDATH ST.

Get some shots up at the Beverly S. Sheffield basketball courts. This park has one full size court with two rims on green asphalt. The court is located in a beautiful park with plenty of other attractions and activities.

Dripping Springs Sports and Recreation Park

DRIPPING SPRINGS - RANCH RD.

Check out the basketball court at Dripping Springs Park. Hidden inside the large park is a simple concrete basketball court with two hoops. With thick double rims, this court will mold you into a sharp shooter.

Katherine Fleischer Park

WELLS BRANCH - KLATTENHOFF DR.

Looking to hoop in Wells Branch? Check out the full size basketball court at Katherine Fleischer Park. This court is surrounded by a fence so you don’t have to worry about chasing your ball after a bad miss.

Garrison Park

GARRISION PARK - MANCHACA RD.

Come get some work in at the Garrison Park basketball court. Tucked away inside the beautiful park is a full size basketball court with two rims. The tall trees surrounding the court might even provide some shade if you show up at the right time.

River Place Neighborhood Basketball Court

RIVER PLACE - SUN TREE COVE

The Sun Park basketball court at River Place Neighborhood park is the perfect place to hoop. The court has professional style rims on a full size basketball court. However, the court is very popular. If you want to make sure you have a place to hoop, you should reserve the court on the River Place Neighborhood Park website. If there are no reservations, the court is operated on a first come first serve basis.

Balcones District Park

NORTH AUSTIN - DUVAL RD.

Check out the basketball hoop at Balcones District Park. This hoop is tucked away in the beautiful park and is the perfect place to get some shots up on your own!

Brooke Elementary School

GOVALLE - E 4TH ST.

Check out the shaded basketball court behind Brooke Elementary School. Please make sure to go after school hours to ensure you do not disrupt with class activities.

St. Elmo School Park

SOUTH MANCHACA - W. ST ELMO RD.

Check out the basketball hoops behind St. Elmo Elementary School. This court is covered and is perfect for a hot day! Make sure to go after school hours to ensure you do not interrupt class activities.

Tom Lasseter South Lamar Park

SOUTH LAMAR - DEL CURTO RD.

Get some shots up in South Lamar at Tom Lasseter Park!

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If you check out any of these courts, tag us @squadz in your Instagram story to be featured on our account!

LOOKING FOR PLACES TO HOOP NEAR AUSTIN?