Now that Raptors fans are ubiquitous and hoop dreams are on the rise, more and more people are getting in on the game. Not only are more Canadians than ever taking up the sport, more homeowners are getting bespoke courts on their properties.
Interest in personalized basketball courts has been on the rise ever since the Raptors entered the playoffs, said Scott Jackson, president of Barrie-based Sport Court, which installs custom courts throughout the province. And the trend is expected to grow as people revel in the afterglow of the team’s NBA championship win.
Some fans, such as rapper Drake are ahead of the game in terms of building a home court. The super mansion that he’s building in Toronto has an entire wing dedicated to the sport and will be more of a basketball sanctuary. Created by ultra-luxury home designer Ferris Rafauli, the court comes with a full-sized screen and scoreboard featuring Drake’s OVO branding.
Personal basketball courts come in several shapes and sizes and are custom-fit. The courts can vary from small, single-net systems, to NBA-sized full courts, and everything in between — half courts can go up to 1,000 square feet, and larger courts can be more than 2,500 sq. ft. Options include doubling the size so the court can also be used for sports like tennis and winterizing the court so it can be used as a hockey rink.
Prices depend on the specifications and range from about $20 to $50 per sq. ft., Jackson said. That would make a half court about $20,000 to $50,000.
Everything about the court is completely customizable. Courts featuring the signature colours of the Raptors, or their logo in the middle of the playing area have been popular.
Mersed Derakovic, sales manager and court consultant at Mississauga-based Court Surface Specialists, said they’ve received about 200 court inquiries since the Raptors playoff run began in the spring.
“I’ve had a dad that said: ‘It’s a gift to my kids. I’ve left them something that’s been a part of my whole life, watching the Raptors play.’”
Having a court in your backyard is a good way to make use of the space, Derakovic said, adding that often the yards are under-utilized — the barbecue is used, and maybe there’s an occasional birthday party outside, but that’s it. A court also encourages people to stay active, since they’re more inclined to go out and shoot hoops if it’s easy to do.
“At a public area, sometimes you don’t have the availability,” Derakovic said. “A lot of people are out there, and they’ve taken the court space, and you gotta wait. With this, it’s yours. You can call your friends whenever they’re free, and pretty much play anytime.”
This month, Canadian Tire revamped a dozen basketball courts across Toronto, gave away free basketballs, and donated $15,000 to the city to fix up additional public courts. A former student of a public school in Toronto’s east end started a petition for the school to leave their basketball nets up in the evenings to let kids play after-hours.
Jackson said there’s also a big safety aspect of having a specialized court in your backyard, as opposed to having a net on the driveway, which brings the risk of balls rolling onto the street and endangering players who run to retrieve it.
“It’s not costing you anything to send your kids off to the court to play,” Jackson said. “You don’t have to watch them every second like you do around the pool.”
And a new court adds to the property value, Jackson said, noting he’s personally installed a court at every new home he’s moved to.
Many apartment and condominium buildings across Canada offer basketball courts as part of their amenities, ranging from small hoops in gym complexes to full rooftop courts for friendly competitive play.
Both Jackson and Derakovic said condo building owners are increasingly asking to get their old courts revamped as more people take an interest in basketball. But not as many new complexes are installing courts, Jackson said, since physical space is extremely tight in regions like Toronto.
As more people attempt to practise their way into becoming the next Kawhi Leonard, the demand for courts is expected to continue.
“You’re asking for it, so we’re definitely going to be providing this service,” Derakovic said.
Copyright Postmedia Network Inc., 2019
