Okay, here’s my blog post about setting up that portable basketball court:
So, I finally got around to putting together that “portable” basketball court I ordered. The one with the wooden flooring, you know? The box said “keel basketball hard portable wooden flooring.” Sounded fancy. Let me tell you, “portable” is a strong word.
Unboxing and First Impressions
First thing, I opened that massive box. It was like a puzzle designed by someone who hates you. Tons of wooden panels, a bunch of metal pieces that looked vaguely like they belonged together, and a bag of screws that could probably build a small house.
The “Keel” Situation
The instructions… well, let’s just say they were “minimalist.” I figured out the metal frame was supposed to be the “keel” – the base that everything else sits on. I started by laying out the metal pieces and trying to match them up with the not-so-helpful diagrams.
It took some serious head-scratching and a couple of “are you kidding me?” moments, but I finally managed to bolt the frame together. It wasn’t pretty, and I definitely used a few extra screws, but it felt solid enough. I think.
Wooden Panel Mayhem
Next up, the wooden panels. These were supposed to “snap” together. Spoiler alert: they didn’t. I ended up using a rubber mallet (and a lot of grunting) to get them to interlock. My hands were killing me by the end of this.
- Panel 1: Stubborn.
- Panel 2: Slightly less stubborn.
- Panels 3-100: A blur of sweat and frustration.
The Final Product (and Some Doubts)
Eventually, after much struggling, I got all the panels in place. The court looked pretty good, all things considered. It was definitely bigger than I expected, which is both cool and slightly terrifying because now I need to find a bigger space for it.
I bounced a basketball on it a few times. It felt… okay. Not exactly like a professional court, but definitely better than playing on the driveway. I’m still a little worried about how well it’ll hold up over time, especially with my “aggressive” playing style (aka, I trip a lot). But for now, it’s a basketball court, and I built it… mostly.
I give the whole experience a solid 6/10. Would I do it again? Probably not. But hey, at least I have a place to shoot some hoops now! And build some good muscles during assembling.
