Basketball

5 best outdoor basketball courts in Los Angeles

Based on the surrounding area, the quality of play, who plays there, and the overall beauty of the park, we’ve selected the five best outdoor basketball courts in the City of Angels.

By Michael Burgess II

5 min readPublished on 01/05/2023 · 6:08 PM UTC

Back in July 2022, Red Bull hosted its inaugural Pro-Am Basketball Classic, the first event of its kind. It featured the top six pro-am teams in the nation competing at the famed King/Drew Magnet High School near downtown Los Angeles.

The school also hosts the Drew League, an annual summer competition that has grown to one of the top pro-am basketball leagues since 1973, hosting professional stars and streetball legends.

But if you ask almost anyone in Los Angeles, the best venues to play basketball are outdoors. The always-sunny weather blends with the salty ocean breeze to create a unique environment at more than 200 outdoor basketball courts.

Venice Beach Basketball Courts
© Photo by Ashwin Vaswani on Unsplash

But which courts are the best?

Silver Lake Basketball Court

Located in central Los Angeles, Silver Lake is one of those places where there’s a good chance you will run into someone famous.

The basketball scene here reflects the surrounding area: laid-back and fun. Depending on what time you go, you’re likely to have a different experience. If you’re looking to play with others, try going in the late afternoon; if you’re a loner, the early mornings and late evenings suit you well.

The Silver Lake community is also one of the most hipster areas of Los Angeles, so if you’re looking for a chill place to enjoy yourself, shoot some hoops and interact with a unique environment, Silver Lake is a good place to start.

Location: 2901 Van Pelt Place, Los Angeles, CA 90026
Hours: Dawn to Dusk

Pan Pacific Park

Located in the Fairfax District, the Pan Pacific Park features one of the most popular outdoor basketball spots in Los Angeles. The park is built where the Pan Pacific Auditorium used to be. It was a popular place for public events in Los Angeles before it closed in 1972 and burned down seventeen years later.

Along with the basketball courts, the park also offers tennis courts, baseball fields, soccer fields, picnic areas and many more places to spend time or relax. Pan Pacific is a hotspot for the local basketball scene, so if you’re looking to simply get some games in or just to watch some engaging contests, expect to get a solid taste of that action here.

Location: 7600 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036
Hours: Mondays from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Tuesdays through Fridays from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Playa Vista Central Park

Located in the Westside area of Los Angeles, the Playa Vista court is located on the beautiful Playa Vista Central Park campus.

The court itself is very clean and pleasing, featuring red fencing on all sides that ensures that the ball never strays too far and a smooth blue hardtop. It all adds a level of sleekness to the court.

The surrounding areas also add a lot of value for folks with interests other than basketball.

First, the Central Park campus features a bandshell, which the park uses for outdoor movies and concerts. The area also includes several ponds, a soccer field, a sand volleyball court, gardens and plenty of areas for sitting and taking in the environment. The area is also a prominent area for members of the Los Angeles Clippers to live since their training facility is located in the Playa Vista community.

Location: 12045 Waterfront Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90094
Hours: 7 a.m. to dusk on weekdays and 8 a.m. to dusk on the weekend

Venice Beach Basketball Courts

Very few courts have a more picturesque view or mystical aura than the Venice Beach basketball court. None of them can match the amount of star power that you could find there on a day-to-day basis, from NBA stars like Kevin Durant and George Hill to basketball legends like Chris Staples.

Opened in the 1980s, anyone from all walks of life can shoot a few hoops or simply take in the scenery. You’re likely to see a pickup game with a few professional players or a shootaround with some local talent going on at all hours of the day. There is even a streetball league and some big 3v3 contests that get hosted there at times. Venice Beach was also used as a set for the popular sports movie "White Men Can’t Jump."

Since the court does not have outdoor lighting, the action usually shuts down once the sun fully sets. However, even that adds to the experience, with the LA beach sunset creating one of the most beautiful backdrops any outdoor basketball court in the world has.

Location: The Boardwalk, Los Angeles, CA 90291
Hours: Dawn to Dusk

Angels Gate Park

Angels Gate basketball courts might be one of the few spots that can rival the view available at Venice Beach. Less than an hour south of Venice Beach, the Angels Gate courts offer an extensive view of the Pacific Ocean.

Like Playa Vista, on its own, Angels Gate is just a cool place to be. The location offers a cultural center with a gallery and hosts several events involving all artistic disciplines. It also features the Korean Bell of Friendship, symbolizing peaceful relations between South Korea and the United States. The bell was dedicated in 1976.

The design of the lone court at this site isn’t anything spectacular; there’s a smooth gray hardtop, and the supports for the basketball hoops seem rather outdated. However, when you combine it with the surrounding area and the amazing view, it’s a place in Los Angeles that you simply can not miss out on.

Location: 3601 S Gaffey St, San Pedro, CA 90731
Hours: 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Conclusion

There are so many attractions in Los Angeles that are just cool to see or experience, however, few things contribute to the culture of this city, like the basketball community. From the professional teams to the streetball scene, it’s hard to move around the City of Angels without noticing the traces of the dynamic basketball lifestyle that have seeped into the culture.