Lethal Shooter prepares to play basketball during Hoops Passport in Atlanta
© Brian Hall / Red Bull Content Pool
Basketball
7 top outdoor basketball courts in Atlanta
Blocking, passing, shooting, dunking — you can practice all your skills at one of Atlanta’s many basketball courts.
By Shayna Waltower
5 min readPublished on
Whether playing basketball is a personal passion or you’re preparing for a competition, amateurs and professionals alike head to basketball courts to hone and perfect their skills. Professional shooting coach Chris “Lethal Shooter” Matthews says it perfectly: “Everybody has to work on their craft every single day.”
13 minHoops Passport: Lethal Shooter in AtlantaBasketballers Chris 'Lethal Shooter' Matthews and Chloe Pavlech explore Atlanta’s thriving hoops community.
Hitting up one of Atlanta’s many basketball courts is a great way to sharpen your skills just like the athletes in Atlanta’s Red Bull Run the Racks event. Check out this list of the top seven outdoor basketball courts in Atlanta and the surrounding area so you can pick the right spot.
01

Piedmont Park Basketball Courts

The Piedmont Park Basketball Courts are located in Midtown Atlanta, just two miles northeast of downtown. They’re a quick walk from three nearby bus stops, and they’re open every day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Light posts surround the concrete area so you can continue your games well past sunset. If you’re looking for a few hours of uninterrupted playtime, you can reserve a court for an hourly fee.
Also located in Piedmont Park are volleyball courts, a running track, soccer fields, softball fields, and bocce courts. You have plenty of options for fun if you dabble in a few different sports.
02

Candler Park Basketball Courts

The Candler Park Basketball Courts are located in the heart of the Candler Park neighborhood just east of Little Five Points, a hip Atlanta neighborhood. The neighborhood’s titular park includes a full court and a half court. While there are no lights on the courts, the park is open every day from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. This gives you plenty of time to enjoy pick-up games or solo shooting during the day. You’ll also find parking on-site, which makes for an easy and accessible walk to the courts.
03

Grant Park Basketball Courts

Grant Park, Atlanta’s oldest park, is one of the city’s largest public recreation spaces. There are two basketball courts at Grant Park, one full-size and one half-size, built by the Atlanta Hawks Foundation. The courts’ black tile flooring was made to withstand the energetic, high-impact play that basketball often involves. These courts also include all the professional markings you need to play an NBA-standard game.
You can use multiple parking lots, both free and paid, to access the Grant Park Basketball Courts. You’ll also find water fountains throughout the park for water breaks between games. Restrooms are also conveniently located at the center of the park, not too far from the courts.
04

Pernoshal Park Basketball Courts

In the city of Dunwoody, a 20-minute drive north from Atlanta, you’ll find Pernoshal Park. This park offers plenty of space for pickup games, and the park’s two half-size courts and one full-size court are surrounded by lush greenery.
In addition to its basketball courts, Pernoshal Park features other spaces you can enjoy, including a large open field and a pickleball court. There’s also a restroom decently close to the courts. When you’re winding down, you’ll find a pavilion where you can enjoy lunch with some friends.
05

Central Park Basketball Courts

Located in Downtown Atlanta, Central Park (different than the famous New York park) is home to four basketball courts. These courts are the product of a renovation project that the Atlanta Hawks Foundation sponsored. The courts are marked with bright red and yellow paint. This way, you can more easily keep score and follow the standards of a professional game. In addition to the courts, you’ll find multi-purpose fields, tennis courts, and a baseball diamond.
06

Perkerson Park Basketball Court

Located just off the Atlanta Beltline Trail — a top Atlanta running trail — Perkerson Park is a staple of the Capitol View neighborhood. Here, you’ll find a full court sitting right in the direct sunlight, with abundant oak trees flanking its periphery. Perkerson Park is also home to softball and baseball fields, six tennis courts, and a disc golf course.
These areas give you plenty of opportunities for fun and exercise beyond your basketball games. There are also public restrooms, outdoor grills, and a pavilion, so you can spend a whole day at this park.
07

Maddox Park Basketball Courts

You can find these two full courts — where Red Bull Half Court USA’s Atlanta event recently took place — in Bankhead along U.S. Route 78. The courts are highly accessible, too — they’re right next to the Donald L Hollowell Parkway & Stiff Street stop on the 26 and 50 buses. There are two giant lights at the edges of the courts, so you can keep your pickup games going well after dusk. For a daytime game, a dip in Maddox Park’s pool to cool down is always a nice bonus.

Shooting and scoring on the courts

Blocking, passing, shooting, dunking — you can practice all your skills at one of Atlanta’s many basketball courts. Whether you’re trying to pick up a couple games or you want to spend the whole day playing ball, you have all kinds of options. Plus, many of Atlanta’s basketball courts are right next to other sports facilities, so you can flex all your athletic muscles while you’re out there. So get out there, and get to playing — limitless adventures await!
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Hoops Passport

Find out how basketball has shaped the people and hoop culture in Atlanta, Washington DC and New York.

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