Horner Park’s basketball courts reopened earlier this month after more than a month of work, with fresh asphalt, artwork and new rims. Players say the baskets are still too low: they stand about 9 feet high or slightly more, below the NBA’s 10-foot regulation standard.
The discrepancy was confirmed by Block Club Chicago, which reported that the Chicago Bulls partnered with the Chicago Park District on the renovation at the Irving Park courts, located on West Montrose Avenue. The project included a new playing surface featuring Bulls-inspired artwork by Chicago artist Alyssa Low, along with new rims, nets and backboards. Block Club Chicago's reporting lists the address as 2741 W. Montrose Ave., though an earlier Block Club Chicago story on the park's lights listed it as 2714 W. Montrose Ave.
The Bulls spokesman acknowledged to Block Club Chicago that the rims were below regulation both before and after the renovation. He said the team planned to replace the poles and rims in a second stage of work later in October, and was unsure exactly how far below regulation the old rims had been.
Players Spot the Difference
Carson Hodges, a 5-foot-10 player from Lincoln Park, told Block Club Chicago he could tell the rims were low without measuring them.
Niko Stathis, who is about 6-foot-2, said the lower baskets make the ball easier to grab but need to be fixed. “The courts are fine but the height sucks,” he said. George Sotos, a 65-year-old player, said he could touch the middle of the net at the renovated courts, a reach that illustrates how far the baskets are from a true 10-foot height.
Park Council Seeks a Height Check
Horner Park Advisory Council President Peter Schlossman said the council measured the baskets and found them below regulation. He said the Chicago Park District is examining their height and described the courts as heavily used by the neighborhood.
The Bulls spokesman said the advisory council had little direct role in the renovation’s design, which was coordinated mainly by the Bulls and the Chicago Park District. Before the work, uneven sections of court led crews to add extra asphalt, he said. A Bulls press release announced the courts’ opening last month but did not mention that work was still to come.
Opening Event Was Rained Out
The Bulls had scheduled an open practice and court-opening event for October 2, but rain canceled it; no new date has been set, according to Block Club Chicago. The Bulls spokesman said the team paid the full cost of the Horner Park renovation before work began in mid-August.
Horner Park was the Bulls’ fifth community-court refurbishment in five years, following projects in Cabrini, Little Village, Belmont Cragin and Burnside Park. In 2021, the Bulls partnered with Zenni Optical and the Chicago Park District on the Burnside Park court, which featured a design by local artist Anthony Lewellen, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
Lights Followed Years of Advocacy
The rim complaints come after years of neighborhood advocacy for another upgrade. In 2024, the courts got lights through Chicago’s participatory budgeting process, following a three-year push that included Roosevelt High School students. The lights turn on after sunset and stay on until 11 p.m.
Ald. Rossanna Rodriguez, who represents the 33rd Ward, said the refurbishment is important to area residents, especially young people. She said she believes racism was one factor behind the long delay in installing lights.
The Bulls said the rim and pole replacement was planned as a second stage later in October. The Park District is also examining the basket height, according to the advisory council president. Whether the work proceeds on that timetable remains to be seen; until then, players say the courts’ improvements have not resolved the height problem.
