Press Releases

A New Luxury Home “Must-Have:” a Basketball Court

For Immediate Release
Contact: Drew de la Houssaye, Realtor
THE BROKERAGE Real Estate Group Beverly Hills
(310) 903-9866
Drew@DrewDeLaHoussaye.com
Twitter @MadCribs

A New Luxury Home “Must-Have:” a Basketball Court

Matt Damon’s new $15MM contemporary modern estate in Pacific Palisades has a 21^st century “must-have”…a basketball court. In the 90’s, we first saw these courts in the homes of NBA players on MTV Cribs, but they aren’t just for the pros anymore. Damon’s BFF Ben Affleck also chose a nearby Cliff May designed estate where he could get his game on. Luxury real estate agents are finding amateur ballers among hedge fund managers, technology billionaires and heiresses.

Of course, you still see players like five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant installing basketball courts in their homes. His new 14,000 sq ft home in Newport Coast features the usual amenities: an elevator, wine cellar, media room and a gym. Then, there is the requisite basketball court. Neighbors are following suit. There is currently a $20MM home in Newport Coast (15 Sailview) listed for sale which also features full-sized basketball court…perfect for the wannabe hoop star.

Southern California listing services currently list over 100 homes with offering this fashionable amenity.

Passion for the home court has lead some celebrities into trouble. Jamie Fox’s late night naked games generated complaints from his Tarzana neighbors. He has since moved on to a 40-acre spread where he can presumably do as he pleases…with or without clothes. Leonardo Dicaprio’s bird street (Hollywood Hills) neighbors didn’t have naked movie star problems. They were worried that the excavation for Dicaprio’s his basketball court threatened the stability of their hillside. The resulting lawsuit was settled quietly.

Financier and technology entrepreneur, Gary Winnick, is rumored to be considering the sale of the former Conrad Hilton estate in Bel Air for $225MM. The massive estate, known as Casa Encantada, sits on a private knoll surrounded on three sides by a Bel Air Country Club fairway, and of course no $225MM estate would be complete without your own private basketball court.

Hedge fund manager, Tom Gores, purchased the lot across the street from his home in the guard-gated Mulholland Estates and installed a basketball court and skateboard ramp. Last year he sold the parcel for $1.6MM…presumably to someone who thinks a private playground isn’t the 15,000 sq ft lot’s highest and best use.

Well-heeled ladies are also getting into the game. Dawn Arnall, the widow of sub-prime mortgage pioneer Roland Arnall, gets her game on at her 650 acre Mandalay Ranch in Aspen, and In-n-Out Burger billionaire heiress Lynsi Torres can host pick-up games at her new acquired $17.4MM Bradbury Estates Italianate villa which boasts both an old-school tennis court and a separate basketball court.

European inspired architecture of the gave us traditional Spanish, Italian, Tudor and Georgian manor houses featuring tennis courts, but people from all walks of life are putting their own uniquely American twist on these traditional estates. Django Unchained producer Stacey Sher sold her vintage Wallace Neff designed Beverly Hills home for $5.15MM. It included a basketball court that the architect surely never envisioned.

According to Beverly Hills real estate agent Drew de la Houssaye, “There are still a couple of excellent opportunities for buyers looking to acquire a basketball estate with a celebrity pedigree.” He suggests Mark Wahlberg’s 7-bedroom 10-bath Beverly Crest home which is on the market for $12.9MM or football commentator Keyshawn Johnson’s 6-bedroom 9-bath Calabasas abode for $9.75MM.

The super-rich aren’t just sitting courtside at the Staples center. They are getting into the game.

###