So I got this wild idea after reading online ads. Those cushioned maple basketball floors they sell as ‘portable’? Yeah right. But my neighbor Dave kept nagging about setting up a home court, so I took the plunge.

The Whole Setup Mess

First thing Monday, three heavy-ass boxes arrived. Took two guys just to drag ’em into my garage. Unboxed the planks – looked nice, smelled like fresh wood. Felt light too, which got me worried already. Following the instructions? Total nightmare. Each plank clipped together but wouldn’t lie flat. Spent two hours crawling on my knees, cussing at the gaps.

Testing & Immediate Problems

Finally got it laid out Tuesday morning. Did a test bounce… felt weird. Like jumping on a cheap mattress. Tried dribbling – ball reacted slow, kinda dead. Then Dave came over Wednesday for some one-on-one. Twenty minutes in, disaster struck. Went for a layup, landed sideways on a plank edge. The clip snapped clean off. That section popped up like a seesaw. Nearly broke my ankle.

• Gaps Widened: Where we ran most, planks started separating like bad teeth.
• Surface Dented: Dropped a water bottle? Left a visible dent. Actual basketball shoes? Scratched it up bad.
• Cushion Flattened: By Friday, the bouncy feeling under the hoop was gone. Just felt like cheap plywood.

What Other People Said

Checked reviews after my mess. Shoulda done this first! Coach Sarah from the high school team bought it for drills. Her words? “Warped after one rain shower during outdoor practice. Useless.” Mike, who runs a youth program, told me his planks splintered where kids landed. Said it looked like “kindling after three weeks”.

My Final Take

Portable? Technically, if you enjoy disassembling broken clips. Basketball-ready? Only if you like ankle hazards. Durable? Hell no. Felt flimsier than my grandma’s porch furniture after a year in the sun. Dave’s back to using his driveway. Me? I’m out $600 but learned a lesson: some things are cheap for a damn good reason. Stick to real courts.