Overview

Gender

male

Anthony Katz, founder of Hyperice, has been playing pickup basketball since he was a kid. He grew up in Laguna Beach, Calif., was a Magic Johnson fanatic in his youth, and regularly played on the iconic outdoor courts by the water, “literally right on the sand.”

Throughout high school, college, and beyond, Katz remained a very serious amateur player, soon becoming indoctrinated in the ways of pickup basketball. “The great thing about the game is you can go to a gym, get 10 guys, and get a run in. There’s a whole culture of how the game is played, unwritten rules, a code of ethics.” He came to play pickup at “open gyms” around Southern California, invitation-only communities of serious players who used college or high school facilities during off-hours. And even if he’s on vacation in a city he’s never been to before, he can usually suss out a pickup game quickly at the local court or gym.