Best of the East Bay
Best Pickup Basketball
Show off your attitude and flashy moves
People's Park
Maybe the legacy of People's Park is more closely associated with activism than athletics, but you wouldn't know it from the basketball courts on a sunny weekend afternoon. Since the park's dubious founding in the late '60s it has been a home to political rallies, hippie sunbathers, and snoozing crackheads. It's also home to some of the bay's best pickup basketball. The action on the courts is brisk, with lots of shit talkin', ball hoggin', and, of course, the flashy moves. For those uninitiated to the scene, lace up your high-tops and head courtside. There, loosely assembled groups of strangers form teams on the fly and wait their turn to play. The winners keep the court, the losers get lost. And if you're no Michael Jordan, and you lose your court privileges, don't sweat it; you can always join the park's regulars in other sporting activities -- hustling change, picking through the free clothes bin, or kicking your addictions.
