Basketball: the first sport I ever truly cared about. The first time I played I was in third grade. I was absolutely awful. I’ve always had long arms and been horrendously uncoordinated, so as a child, sports didn’t interest me at all. I tried again in fifth grade — same result.
But in high school, that changed. I found myself actually drawn to sports for the first time, playing junior varsity and varsity tennis from my freshman to senior year. But as graduation drew near, I knew it would be hard to play tennis consistently in university. Between the weather, the cost of indoor courts and how hard it is to meet people who play — especially those at the right level — I knew I needed a new outlet for my competitive energy.
Basketball was the answer.
As I found out, basketball is a beginner-friendly sport centred around community, and because of that, I instantly found a passion in the game that I had not felt in any of my prior experiences. I was terrible at first, but I quickly learned, especially as I was drawn to the most unique part of the game: pickup. Coming from tennis, the idea that I could simply pull up (pun intended) at any court and jump into a game with strangers was both baffling and exciting.
Some say that Gen Z lacks a sense of community, but anyone who plays pickup basketball would disagree. I return to the same court every time I’m home in San Francisco, and even if I’ve been gone for months, there’s always a familiar face. Sometimes, even if I don’t know someone’s name, they’ll greet me with a smile, a high five, and we get down to business.
It’s the best part of pickup. It doesn’t matter if you’re a man or a woman, gay or straight, or even good at basketball — all that matters is that you play hard. Every pickup game to 11 is treated like game seven of the NBA Finals, and all people care about is winning.
I spent much of my first year at UBC bumbling around the Totem Park courts, playing with people who were patient enough to watch me learn how to shoot properly. By now, I’d tentatively say I’m decent at basketball and I’d confidently say I’ve played at least one pickup game at every court on campus. Based on my experiences at each, I’ve broken them all down here, worst to best.
Ineligible: War Memorial Gym and the Student Recreation Centre (SRC)
These two courts are not being included on my list as they are generally inaccessible to UBC students. Since the construction of Rec North, the SRC is now rarely used for basketball, and when it is, it’s only for intramural leagues. War Memorial used to host drop-in basketball in my first year during final exam season, as the SRC was being used for testing and drop-ins had to be moved elsewhere. With Rec North now available, that overflow space is no longer needed. It’s essentially reserved for varsity now — you won’t find pickup ball there anymore.
That being said, the SRC courts are some of the dustiest, slipperiest courts I’ve ever played on, and I’d advise anyone who’s even slightly injury-prone to steer away. As for War Memorial, while the court itself is just like any other indoor court, it feels strange playing basketball in an empty stadium that seats over 2,000 people.
The Nest:
Let’s start with the worst court on campus. I could dedicate this whole article to how much I dislike this court. I’ve only ever played here to warm up before intramural games, or if I’m walking by (in street clothes with my backpack on) and someone happens to be looking for a sixth man in their three-on-three game.
There are no nets on either hoop and in my time at UBC, there never has been. The rusty remains of a chain net that might be older than I am doesn’t solve the issue. The court is also on a noticeable incline and depending which side of the hoop you’re standing on, you’re either shooting up at or down into the basket. And finally, perhaps the most problematic part of the court is its location. It’s smack-dab in the middle of the busiest part of campus and there is absolutely nothing around to contain the ball.
If you’re on your own, you’re always one bounce away from having to run at full speed trying to wrangle the ball as it barrels towards the masses. In the 15 minutes Sidney (the photographer for this article) and I spent at this court taking pictures, my ball accidentally hit two separate groups of people. Given the choice, I would steer clear of this one.
Fairview Crescent:
This is likely one of the lesser-known courts on campus. It’s tucked away behind the Fairview Crescent residence and it’s the smallest “court” on campus. Perhaps the best thing about this court is that one of the adjustable nets is fixed at just around six feet. This allows you to live out your wildest NBA dreams and try some fun dunks, but it’s a bit too low, running the risk of hitting your head on the backboard on the way down. As a nice change from the Nest, these hoops always have nets — but these are about the only positive aspects of this court.
There are no lines painted on the ground and the court is almost always infested with little children from the nearby elementary school.
On one occasion I brought my boyfriend — who does not play basketball — and tried to teach him how to shoot (his jumper could be described as “unorthodox” at best). In the midst of this, a gaggle of children walked by. One of them, who was at most ten, watched for two seconds before loudly yelling “oh hell nah!” My boyfriend hasn’t touched a basketball since.
One of my main grievances with this court is the fences surrounding it. They are incredibly low, and more times than not, when your ball bounces, it’s at risk of going over the fence and into the road. To make matters worse, the fences are also super close to the basket on both sides, meaning you don’t have much space to move around. Overall, not the best hoops experience, but still nowhere near as bad as the Nest.
Totem Park:
Totem Park is where I first began playing basketball seriously, and because of that, I have a lot of positive memories associated with this court — and some possible lingering biases. This remains one of my personal favourite places to play ball on campus — but if someone were asking me where to go for pickup on campus, I’d have a hard time actually recommending this one.
Like many of the courts on campus, the hoops here do not have nets, which noticeably affects the experience in a way that’s hard to quantify — it just feels worse. One of the hoops is around nine feet high (rim-grazer dunks for Ian, yay) and the regulation rim is slightly crooked and leans left, which makes shooting inconsistent.
Still, the vibes here remain high. The gardens behind the court provide a scenic background, and there’s usually a few people here after class hours that are more than happy to run games, even if you come alone.
Place Vanier:
It was a toss-up between Vanier and Totem for this spot, but I think ultimately Vanier just edges it out. The courts are a bit dusty and — at least in the handful of times I’ve played here — I’ve never seen a single soul. The two hoops are way more than the standard 94 feet apart (I would guess well over 100 feet) which makes playing full court nearly impossible.
Between the absence of people and ocean-sized court, Vanier is not conducive to group play, but what it lacks there, it makes up for with quality and atmosphere.
Unlike most of the other outdoor courts on campus (even the skate park), both of the hoops have fully intact nets. The three-point line and free-throw line are both fully visible on the ground, and the actual court itself is completely level, largely thanks to it being on a former tennis court. The surrounding trees provide it with a really nice backdrop (even though they do create kind of a mess), the area is quiet and it always smells faintly of pine oil.
Overall, this court is the perfect spot for people in their “Ball w/o You” phase. If you’re looking to be unbothered and shoot around solo, this is the court for you.
Rec North
This may be a controversial choice, as the basketball purists reading this may find it ridiculous that I have rated the only indoor hoops space for students at UBC second. However, as much as I think indoor hoops are superior, Rec North does have its shortcomings.
The positives here are obvious. Playing inside almost always trumps playing outside. There’s no wind to mess up your shot or sunlight to sear your retinas like tuna steaks. There are plenty of hoops and the courts are new enough that slipping is rare.
However, Rec North falls short in two key areas: space, and on occasion, a welcoming atmosphere. Whenever there is drop-in gym time, Rec North is almost always operating near capacity. This can make it very difficult to get consistent playing-time and almost impossible to find space to shoot around on your own.
But for me, the biggest problem with Rec North is how it works against the best part of pickup. While earlier I said that pickup is for everyone, in certain circumstances, it can brew an intimidating, exclusive atmosphere. Both because of how busy Rec North gets and how pickup basketball games usually work — the winning team gets to keep playing, while the losing team goes off and has to wait for another turn — games tend to get more competitive. The gym draws a crowd that has typically played basketball at least at the high school level, and the more recreational player may occasionally feel like there’s no room for them.
This problem stands out particularly for female basketball players. I play at Rec North at least twice a week and I’d say that more than half of the time I’m there, there is not a single woman playing ball. On our visit, there were only two, one of whom we spoke to.
Ananya Ravichandran is a fourth year student in the Bachelor of International Economics program. For her, “more often than not”, she is the only woman at the Rec North courts, with the only time she isn’t alone being when she “coordinate[s] with [her] female friends.”
This is a very real problem for women who love the game of basketball. The environment can feel unwelcoming, something Ravichandran has dealt with firsthand.
“The moment I walked in [to Rec North], for a second, I was just gonna turn around and not play,” she said. “But at the same time, it is a sport I genuinely enjoy.”
If, like me, you’re looking for something very physical and competitive, then Rec North is perfect. But I would be lying if I said you’re always going to be greeted with open arms. For the most part, people are friendly and inclusive — but on occasion, the atmosphere can be stifling.
Skate Park:
For people who are looking to hoop outside, this should be your go-to on campus. Located across from the UBC Tennis Centre, it’s a bit of a walk from the centre of campus, but it’s worth it if you have the time. Of all the outdoor courts on campus, this is the only one that you can play full-court on. I’m not entirely sure if the court is regulation-size, but there’s a hoop on both ends, the ground is level and it doesn’t dramatically slope off on one end. The nets are mostly intact — albeit with some noticeable tattering on one of the hoops — and there are fences surrounding the court to keep your ball from rolling away, as well as a third hoop ensuring there’s almost always room to play.
More importantly, however, this court is the outdoor court where the most people congregate for runs. I’ve been here dozens of times over the last year, and there’s almost always at least one game going on, in addition to the one court which is open for people to freely shoot around on. The pressure is lower than in Rec North and vibes generally seem higher. There seems to be a general understanding that people are here to have fun (with maybe a dash of competition), the most important part of basketball. You’ll often find people with their friends playing games of HORSE or groups listening to music and playing friendly games.
Maybe I’m biased because this court is within walking distance of my house, but it feels like the gold standard of outdoor basketball courts at UBC. Regardless of whether you’re looking for runs or just to shoot around, there’s always space for you.
Ultimately, the “best” basketball court is subjective. It’s not actually about the physical properties of the court, but rather what you’re looking to get out of the space. Whether you’re trying to establish your own little hoops community at the skate park or play silently with your headphones on at Vanier, what’s most important is your presence. And, for people who have never played, I would encourage you to go give it a try. The court is out there waiting for you; you just need to pull up.
