Central Park Basketball Courts Draw From Near and Far

It's 2 a.m. on a Thursday night and most of San Ramon is asleep, except for one special place on Bollinger Canyon road.

The basketball courts at Central Park seem to have no closing time. Whether it's someone coming off work who needs to relieve some stress or a couple night owls looking for something to do, the court's always seem to be full.

"The courts are open 24 hours a day so no matter when you come, there's always people here to play," said Dante Goodey, 17, of San Ramon.

The availability of lights — something other east bay basketball courts lack, attracts players from all over the area.

"There are are no other 24-hour basketball courts this nice with lights close by," said Armando Cox, 19, of Castro Valley. "These courts are definitely worth the drive from Castro Valley."

People from Oakland, Berkeley and even San Jose have trekked to San Ramon to try out the courts. Despite the multitude of people congregating on one place, there's always a friendly atmosphere on the court.

"Everyone here is really friendly," Cox said. "It doesn't matter how good you are, anyone can come out here and play."

The increased number of players also brings some very competitive games. It's not out of the ordinary to see a person dunk on the 10-foot hoops or drain a long range jumper. According to Daniel Francois, 16, of San Ramon, the aggressive playing ability is one of the reasons that keep him coming back.

"With the more people also comes some pretty good playing ability," Goodey said. "I only play at these courts because I don't have to play anywhere else."

Not only do the lights and competitive players bring different people to the courts, its location also attracts different community members.

"They're right off a main road and really close to the freeway," Goodey said.

In the next few weeks, trying to find space to play a pick-up game might be a little more difficult with it being summer.

"It's summertime," said Josh Macahan of Castro Valley. "What better way to have fun and get into shape that play basketball late into the night." 

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