Brno Basketball Court Becomes Viral Internet Sensation

In the final days of 2018, a basketball court in Medlánky went viral around the world on social media and other websites. The surface under the hoop is covered in gravel. Title photo: ‎Daniel Daňýk Režný‎ // Facebook.

Brno, Jan 3 (BD) –  The photo of the basketball court has been shared hundreds of times on various sites, with many social media users making jokes about its absurdity. It all started with a post in the Facebook group “Sympatizanti Nahovnysmu” by ‎Daniel Daňýk Režný‎, who shared a photo from a children’s basketball court in Brno, in which he holds a handful of the small stones from the surface of the court under the hoop. Režný wrote a sarcastic comment alongside the picture: “Brno is introducing a prototype of the first basketball court with a gravel surface. This will cut down on boring dribbling, and the confused running around will lead to more shooting. Coming soon to all gravel courts (formerly hard-floors) at basketball stadiums.”

Mayor of Medlánky Michal Marek (Independent) acknowledged the joke and explained the situation, as reported by Brno online news site Brněnská Drbna (“Fotka basketbalového hřiště s kačírkem byl povedený vtípek, ve skutečnosti jde o workoutové hřiště, říká starosta”, Jan. 2, 2019). According to Marek, the playground was originally designed for basketball, but since two other basketball hoops are located nearby, the council has decided to convert this one into a outdoor gym, and the court was therefore filled with gravel. The workout equipment has already been installed on one half of the former court, which is not visible in the photo. The basketball hoop will be removed in spring, when weather conditions are more suitable, according to Brněnská Drbna.

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