OC Pick-Up Basketball
Basketball is more than just a sport. Basketball is a community. In the form of pick-up basketball, players come together from all over the city to team up, compete, and build friendships that may exist even outside of basketball. Some of my strongest friendships started from playing pick-up basketball at my local park.
At any particular park, you can usually count on seeing the same people on a nightly basis. Over time, after many competitive battles, you grow familiar with these people, and it becomes a tight-knit community. Although nothing beats the adrenaline rush of playing competitive games, the most memorable moments don’t always come strictly within the games. When I reminisce about nights before COVID-19, what I often miss most is the lively atmosphere. I miss the carefree feeling of laughing it up with my friends on the sideline, with music blaring in the background, as we impatiently wait for our turn to get on the court and dominate everyone.
If you have played pick-up basketball before, your experience may be similar to mine. Or maybe it’s the exact opposite. Some parks can be toxic to the point where it’s inevitable you will see a fight every night. At other parks it may be impossible to get any flow within a game because they call fouls every play, then proceed to argue about it for the next 10 minutes. I’ve been to many different parks, and each is unique, which is why I wanted to make this blog to share my favorite locations in the Orange County area to play pick-up basketball. When health officials deem it safe to return to group sport, and you want to find friendly communities where you can compete in pick-up basketball games, then be sure to check out the parks I will cover. However, I should warn that you will lose if you happen to face me on the court.
