So I finally decided to tackle that backyard basketball court project last weekend. My old concrete slab was murder on the knees, and after watching my nephew wipe out hard last month, I knew I had to do something about it.

Getting Started

First thing Saturday morning, I rolled up to the lumberyard in my beat-up pickup truck. Grabbed these maple hardwood planks – pricey but the guy swore they’re perfect for hoops. Then snagged these thick rubber pads for shock absorption, like the kind they put under gym floors. Total wallet ache, but figured it’s cheaper than knee surgery down the road.

The Prep Work

Cleared the whole area with a steel rake, man that concrete was nasty. Found three soda cans and a fossilized hot dog under there. Leveled the ground with sand, sweating like crazy while dragging this massive screed board back and forth. Messed up twice where the sand piled too high – had to scrape it off and start over.

Putting It Together

Laid out the rubber pads first, like big puzzle pieces. Had to trim the edges with a box cutter where they overlapped. Then came the maple boards:

• Started from one corner, locking the tongues and grooves
• Whacked them together with a rubber mallet when they got stubborn
• Sweared when I realized I put two boards upside-down
• Recruited my neighbor Jim to hold the other end when planks warped

Halfway through, the clouds opened up and we had to throw tarps over everything. Lost like three hours waiting for the wood to dry. Still found time to burn through six cold beers during the whole ordeal though.

The Final Stretch

Once all boards clicked in, I ran a circular saw along the edges to trim off the wonky bits. Nearly cut through the garden hose – that would’ve been ugly. Finished it off by pounding these little metal clips between planks so they stay tight. Whole thing looked so legit I almost expected NBA scouts to show up.

Testing It Out

Took my first dribble yesterday morning. Crazy how the ball bounces higher than on concrete! But the real shocker was jumping for a layup – landed like a cat. You feel the give in the wood and rubber, but not mushy. Even fell on purpose (don’t tell my wife) and barely felt it. Worth every splinter and every dollar. Jim’s already bugging me to build one in his yard – told him bring his own beer next time.