The 8 best outdoor courts in Los Angeles.

Venice Beach Basketball Courts sit at 18th Avenue and the Pacific Ocean, four full-length courts, three regulation and one stadium-sized, just north of the tennis courts and south of the skate park. Pickup games started shortly after construction in the early 1980s, and the run has continued non-stop since.

The Venice Basketball League (VBL or Veniceball) was founded in 2006 by LA basketball promoters and now anchors the summer tournament calendar. NBA stars drop in occasionally for unannounced pickup. The courts have appeared in White Men Can't Jump, American History X, and dozens of music videos. Tourist crowds three deep against the fence are standard on weekend afternoons.

Game style is the original LA streetball: physical, freewheeling, with sand and salt air. Bring sunscreen. Show up before sunset because the courts have no lights.

El Cariso Community Regional Park in Sylmar is the most-reviewed outdoor basketball court in LA after Venice Beach (2,252 reviews, 4.7 stars). Multiple courts on the northeast side of the San Fernando Valley with a strong local pickup scene anchored by the surrounding LA County park complex.

Ted Watkins Memorial Park sits in Watts, named for the activist who shaped the neighbourhood's post-1965 community organizing. The basketball courts are well-maintained and anchor a multi-sport park (1,678 reviews, 4.4 stars). Community-oriented, strong neighbourhood vibe.

Mason Park in Chatsworth, northwest San Fernando Valley, runs a well-rated outdoor basketball court inside a community park (1,448 reviews, 4.5 stars). Reliable suburban LA pickup.

Dearborn Park anchors the basketball scene in the north San Fernando Valley with a well-rated outdoor court inside a community park (1,253 reviews, 4.4 stars).

Jesse Owens Park in south LA, named for the four-time Olympic gold medalist, runs strong outdoor basketball courts inside a multi-sport park (1,205 reviews, 4.3 stars).

Vermont Square Park in south central LA hosts outdoor courts inside one of the older neighbourhood parks in the city (955 reviews, 4.3 stars).

Shadow Ranch Park in the western San Fernando Valley runs a well-rated outdoor court inside a heritage-themed community park (874 reviews, 4.4 stars).