Best In Ground Basketball Hoops: Our Top Picks (2024) - Hoopsfix.com

Best In Ground Basketball Hoops: Our Top Picks (2024)

Best in ground basketball hoops
Are you looking for the best in ground basketball hoops to build your place to play basketball at home?

Whether it’s a basketball hoop for your driveway, a hoop for your garden, or any other outdoor space you might have, an in-ground basketball system is a definite upgrade on any portable basketball hoop, giving you the stability for dunking and the convenience of not having to wheel it out every time you want to play.

A high-quality basketball hoop fixed into the ground will bring countless hours of fun, whether it’s to work on your own game, or a spot to play for you and your friends.

Though it should be obvious that in-ground basketball hoops are more expensive than portable basketball hoops, if you have the budget and space for a permanent basketball hoop, it’s a no-brainer.

There is no clear cut winner when it comes to the best in ground basketball hoop brands – so much depends on your individual needs, but the likes of:

All offer nice options.

In the following guide, we will discuss things to look out for when trying to find an in ground basketball post, whether it is the best outdoor in ground basketball hoop for your driveway, garden, or workplace, and go through our picks for the best in ground basketball hoops on the market – whether you are in the US or Europe.

Best Overall In Ground Basketball Hoop

Mega Slam Hoops 72″ in-ground basketball hoop

Best in ground basketball hoopPrice: £2,399.00 | $3099.00
Our number one choice if you have an unlimited budget is the Mega Slam 72 – named that for its 72 inch backboard, which is regulation size. It is the best rated in ground basketball hoop, with top reviews.

Featuring a directional flex pro rim with breakaway action, it means you can dunk it as hard as you like from any angle and not have to worry about tearing it down – we can confidently say this is the best in ground basketball hoop for dunking.

Not only that, but Mega Slam Hoops offer a lifetime warranty for all play related incidents, and a one-time replacement guarantee for non-play related incidents breaking the basketball backboard – these are built to last a life time.

Worried about what to do when it starts getting darker earlier in the evenings, there is even a ‘Game Light’ add on, a powerful LED lighting system that attaches to the hoop to light up the court so you can play all day and all night.

We can give you the best deal on an in ground basketball hoop too.

Buy now.

Best in ground basketball hoop under $500

Silverback NXT 54″ In-Ground Basketball Hoop

Silverback Nxt 54 In ground basketball hoopPrice: $500.00
In ground basketball hoops can get expensive, fast. So what choice should you make when looking for the best value in ground basketball system?

If you are looking for a hoop under $500, we recommend the Silverback NXT 54 – which comes in just under (literally) budget at $499.99 though is often on sale at $399.95 – and is a high quality tighter budget option.

At that price point, the backboard will be smaller than regulation – at 54-inch – but remains sturdy, plus it has a breakaway rim for the dunkers among you – and notably, it is still height adjustable from 7.5″ to 10″ to be able to be used with players of all ages.

One of its selling points is its easy assembly – Silverback standby the fact it can be put constructed in 90 minutes which is a lot quicker than most of its competitors – they back it with a 5 year guarantee as well.

Buy now.

Also worth checking out for just an extra $40 over budget is the Spalding NBA Aluminium Trim Glass In-Ground Basketball System.

Best in ground basketball hoop under $1000

Silverback 60″ In-Ground Basketball Hoop

Silverback 60 in ground basketball hoopPrice: $850.00
Similar to our pick for best in ground hoop for under $500, the Silverback 60 is an upgrade on that model which you would expect at almost double the price.

It comes with a larger backboard (60-inch), backboard and pole padding for protection from impact and powder-coated steel pole for sturdier and longer lasting performance – whilst still has all the other features of the 54 – adjustable from 7.5′ to 10′ and with breakaway rim.

Buy now.

Best adjustable in ground basketball hoop

Because we believe having the option to adjust the height of the hoop to be paramount for the best in ground basketball hoop experience, all of our picks above are adjustable.

So check your budget and have a look at the above options for the best adjustable in ground basketball hoop that suits your needs!

Things to Consider When Buying an In Ground Basketball Hoop

When building your outdoor basketball court on your driveway or garden and it comes to picking your in ground basketball hoop, there are a number of things you should consider:

Installation, Location & Longevity

Committing to an in-ground basketball hoop is no small decision – keep in mind that this is a permanent fixture in your home or property and will affect the valuation (maybe better or for worse!).

Though you are able to replace the hoop and backboard, the post is literally set in stone (concrete). It will require digging up, or sawing off to remove.

Ensure you have the space require – this will vary depending on your needs (do you want to just get some shots up, or a spot you can play 3 on 3 or 5 on 5.

Though installing is something you are able to do yourself, if you have the money, sometimes it is easier to just pay an external company a couple hundred bucks to have professionals install it and could save you a bunch of potential headaches.

Support Pole

The support pole – or stantion – is key to the quality of any in-ground basketball system; the reason you have chosen in ground is because you want something sturdy and permanent, and that is what the support pole should give.

Cheaper in ground basketball hoops can often come with multi-piece support poles, which you insert directly into a hole filled with fresh concrete.

More expensive in ground basketball hoops come with something called an ‘anchor kit’ – you’ll often need a deeper hole and a lot more concrete, but the advantages are you can level the backboard later by adjusting the nuts of the J-bolts below the anchor plate.

You also want to look at the thickness of the support pole – generally the more expensive you go, the thicker the pole – but the more sturdy (and dunk proof) the basketball hoop.

And the final thing is whether or not it’s adjustable. Adjustable in ground basketball hoops normally have range from the regulation 10′ down to 7.5′ – great for younger players or low rim dunk contests!

Backboard

There are two big differentiators when it comes to in ground basketball hoop backboards; size and material.

Official NBA and NCAA college regulation backboards are 72 inches wide (and 42 inches high) – again, these are found on the most premium of set ups and will cost.

From there, they shrink in size to 60-inch, 54-inch or 48-inch – all are usable and allow you to score bank shots but generally, the bigger the better.

When it comes to material the backboard is made of, there are three options; polycarbonate, acrylic and tempered glass.

Polycarbonate is the budget option found on entry-level in ground basketball hoops – it is very light but gives a different ‘bounce’ off the backboard, and tends to discolor after being exposed to the sun outside for too long.

Acrylic backboards are the mid-tier option, and because they are transparent – like a professional tempered glass backboard – it gives it a much more premium feel. It is much lighter than tempered glass, so doesn’t need as sturdy of a support pole, however, it can pick up scratches over time.

Tempered glass is the material for pros and the basketball purists when it comes to their in ground system. The material is hard-wearing, scratch-resistance, transparent – and also heavy, meaning thick support poles come with any in ground system that has a tempered glass backboard.

Rims

When it comes to rims, you need a breakaway rim – and pretty much every in ground basketball hoop comes with one.

A breakaway rim does exactly what it says on the tin – when you dunk and hang on it, it ‘breaks away’, so absorb the impact and let the rim and backboard last longer.

Not much to say here as it should be included by default – and if not, stay away!

Overhang

Overhang is the space between the baseline and the backboard.

On an official NBA basketball court this is 4 feet – a good distance to allow players to go to the hoop without crashing into a support pole (or wall), and dribble underneath the basket for reverse lay ups.

Ideally your build will have as much overhang as possible, but depending on the hoop you buy this will vary and if your space to play is smaller, you might actually want much smaller overhang to save space.

Final Thoughts

An in-ground basketball hoop is no easy decision and if you want the highest quality, it comes at a price!

But saying that, I have never met a single person who has built their outdoor basketball court with an in-ground system regret.

Save your money up, do your research and create a set up that will last a lifetime!