Lifetime 1221 Pro Court Height-Adjustable Portable Basketball System with 44-Inch Backboard

by Lifetime

• Portable, height-adjustable basketball system with 44-Inch backboard
• Telescoping mechanism adjusts from 7.5 to 10-Feet 6-Inch increments
• 27-Gallon base fills with water or sand and rolls to your desired location
• UV-protected, high-density polyethylene construction resists chipping and cracking
• 18-Inch black solid steel rim with 1/2-Inch steel braces, 5-year warranty

Product Description

Amazon.com

Hone your jump shot in your spare moments or perform a backyard dunking drill with this Lifetime portable basketball system. Unlike in-ground basketball hoops--which are typically anchored in concrete--this portable hoop rolls on wheels, letting you position the basket support in your desired location, from the back patio to the middle of the cul-de-sac. All you have to do is fill the 27-gallon base with water or sand and play.

The Lifetime hoop adjusts from 7.5 to 10 feet in 6-inch increments.

Lifetime knows that younger players aren't always ready for a 10-foot hoop, which is why the basket boasts a height-adjustment mechanism. The telescoping mechanism adjusts from 7.5 to 10 feet in 6-inch increments--no tools required--letting players of all ages and skill levels enjoy the game on their own terms. Aspiring dunkers can also gradually raise the basket 6 inches at a time as their vertical improves, although the 18-inch solid steel rim is not a breakaway rim. The black rim is instead extremely stable, with 1/2-inch steel braces, welded steel net hooks, and a 50-gram net.

And players needn't worry about the 44-inch backboard wearing dramatically over time thanks to the UV-protected, high-density polyethylene construction. This sturdy plastic material helps the board resist chipping and cracking while protecting the graphics from fading. Also equipped with a black, powder-coated, three-piece pole, the Lifetime system carries a five-year warranty.

About Lifetime
In the beginning, all the founder of Lifetime Products wanted was a sturdier basketball pole for his backyard. With this in mind, he found and purchased a piece of heavy-duty used pipe, a sheet of plywood, and a basketball rim. The resulting backyard basketball standard functioned perfectly in his backyard. Seeing the potential of his hoop, he placed an ad in the local free classified newspaper and made his first sale. The rest--as they say--is history. He created the American PlayWorld Company in 1973, based out of his garage in Riverdale, Utah. After expanding into several other types of playground equipment, he eventually moved to a bigger location in South Ogden, Utah. Several years later, the company transformed the basketball industry by introducing the Quick Adjust basketball pole, the first complete basketball system you could raise and lower with a broomstick. In 1986, American PlayWorld created Lifetime Products, a separate company intended to concentrate specifically on manufacturing adjustable basketball systems. In the ensuing years, the company has grown from having 18 employees in a 32,000-square-foot space in half a warehouse to more than 1,400 employees and 2.6 million square feet over 23 separate buildings.

Product Description

The Lifetime 1221 Pro Court Adjustable Portable Basketball Hoop with 44 Inch Impact Backboard is perfect for recreational home use. The Lifetime 1221 portable basketball system features a 44 inch Polyethylene backboard, a classic basketball rim and a 27 gallon Pro Court base. The telescoping post allows you to adjust the basketball goal from 7.5-10 feet in 6 inch increments, so that players of any age can enjoy the game at their level.

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 44.5 x 33.1 x 7.6 inches ; 55 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 55 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• Origin: Made in USA
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B0007RALHS
• Item model number: 1221
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (279 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #275 in Sports & Outdoors (See Top 100 in Sports & Outdoors)
  • #1 in Sports & Outdoors > Team Sports > Basketball > Court Equipment > Backboard Components
  • #1 in Sports & Outdoors > Team Sports > Basketball > Court Equipment > Backboard Systems > Portable Boards
  • #1 in Toys & Games > Sports & Outdoor Play > Sports > Basketball > Backboards

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

418 of 422 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great for Little One's, good for everyone else January 1, 2010

By Richard Johnson

Amazon Verified Purchase

Length: 2:50 Mins

Read all the reviews on this. Mind you, I was a bit skeptical at the price, but in the end, I locked and loaded on this one and am very happy. Below is my written review and I've also attached some video. Read the review first.

As for it being complicated to put together, I really did not find this to be an issue. Sure, there were a couple of vague areas, but I found if I just paused, thought about it for a while, the answer came to me. Aside from putting one bolt in backwards (kids could have bonked their head on it so just turned it around) it all worked out nicely. One adult can do most of the work, but you must have two for the mounting of the back board and hoop.

As for quality. It's just fine.
For little kids, I think this is perfect. If I was buying it for older kids, I might get one of the other models with a bigger back board and where the board is extended off the pole. I recorded a couple of videos which shows you how the back board sits right on the pole. As one reviews stated, if you were running and slamming, you'd run right into the pole. Sometimes the ball hits the pole and kicks it back out. So this hoop system is really more for "goofing" around than serious play.

If you have a limited budget and / or you just want something for goofing around, or for little kids who have an interest in Bball, really I can't find any faults. The price can't be beat. The system is very stable and sound.

128 of 138 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Hoops for amateurs December 26, 2006

By T. Leary

Amazon Verified Purchase

This backboard works perfectly for our purpose. It is portable, but I recommend sand for weighting so you don't have to worry about water freezing. Also, changing the height of the pole is a two-person task. We have a nine-year-old daughter for whom it was purchased, and she can't put enough power into her shots to do any damage, but if you have kids who want to hang on the rim or shoot from a long distance, this probably isn't the right set for you.

40 of 42 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A great hoop for the budget conscious family with elementary and high school aged children July 30, 2009

By Jojoleb TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Amazon Verified Purchase

The Lifetime 1221 Pro Court basketball system is a reasonable choice for the budget conscious family. It is a free-standing basketball hoop that is great for light, family oriented play. Given the price, I think you will get more than you expected and your kids will be more than satisfied with the new source of summer fun.

But remember, this is not a professional set up. The backboard is made out of molded plastic. This is somewhat softer than plexiglass or wood and dampens the characteristic bounce that you might get with a harder surface. The fact that the base is weighted, rather than fixed to the ground, also increases the give on the backboard. Even so, the backboard perfroms competently. So unless your kids are budding NBA stars, the effect on play is minimal and the backboard is more than adequate.

You can fill the base with water or sand. Water has the advantage of being easier to remove whereas sand weighs more and would make the base more stable. However, even with water the hoop is far more stable than I would have imagined. It stays firmly planted even when the ball is thrown at the backboard with force.

Although portable, the structure is not easily collapsible. The hoop only reduces down easily to a minimum of 7 1/2 feet. So if you want to store it for the winter you will need to have enough room to store such a long structure, actually disassemble the hoop, or simply let it stay outside and brave the elements. It is not difficult to raise and lower the height in six inch increments, but this requires removing a screw and extending the pole assembly. Not too difficult, but more challenging than lever operated systems.... The whole assembly is much lighter than you would expect, given the hollow, metal construction and molded plastic backboard, so it is actually easy to move around. Even with the base full of water, my 13 year old can tip the assembly back on its wheels and move the hoop easily on a blacktop surface.

In terms of assembly, things weren't too bad. Minimum equipment is required--a hex ratchet set and Phillip's head screwdriver are all you really need. The skill level needed is minimal (hey, I was able to put this together). Set aside an hour or so to put the thing together and make sure you have another adult (or large child) to help with the last steps. The directions are about average for this kind of do-it-yourself variety of product. The steps are multilingual, but really the most important aspect of them is the pictures. The drawings are clear enough to distinguish like pieces from each other, but certainly could have been clearer. On the bright side, Lifetime included life-size pictures of the hardware used for each step at the top of the page, so there is little ambiguity as to which screw or nut should be used. If you can put together the more simple Ikea furniture, you can certainly put this thing together without a problem.

The major difficulty in the design here is the hoop-backboard assembly. This is the part that requires two adults. 4 screws attach the hoop through the backboard to the pole in the last steps of the assembly. The pairs are, of course, going in opposite directions and it requires two adults and a lot of balance to hold the three parts in place while the nuts are being secured. The position of the bottom two screws is also somewhat awkward as there is barely enough room to fit the hex wrench around the head of the screw. Lifetime could simply have placed a groove on the end of the hex screw allowing you to use a screwdriver instead of a hex wrench.) Apart from this step, however, the assembly is simple and straight forward. Lifetime could have made it a tad simpler if all their hex nuts and screws were the same size, but this is a minor issue.

Given the price of this no-frills item, I think you definitely get your money's worth on this one. Once again, this is not a hoop made to withstand high levels of punishment, but it is a great choice for a backyard one-on-one with your elementary or high school aged child. Read more ›

81 of 91 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great for kids! May 26, 2009

By Kristos E. Zagorianos

I ordered this from Amazon, and it came very quickly. It wasn't the most difficult or complicated product to assemble but it wasn't a walk in the park either. There was one missing bolt, but I happened to have one laying around.
If you will not be changing height often, this is an awesome set up. If you have multiple children with dramatic differences in skills and height, you may want to consider something else. Mainly something with an easier adjustment feature.
my two boys (2nd grade and Kindergarten) love this 'hoop'. To change the height you have to tip it over( using physics its not that hard). But, you will need one person to pull the backboard out, and hold it steady so you can re-insert the removable bolt.
There are some who will 'poo-poo' any portable system. if you want professional quality backboard feel and quality, then....get a professional quality system...but if you have kids under 12, and want something to play with, then this is a great system.

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Very pleased! June 1, 2010

By Kathryn

Amazon Verified Purchase

This arrived quickly from Amazon and the directions were good. I'm a 41-year old mom and I put this together by myself. I needed our wheelbarrow to prop it up. It took me about 90 minutes. I tried to put sand in the base, but the hole is so small that it was taking forever so I finally filled it up with water (I'll remember to dump it in the winter before it freezes).

This is for my 5 year-old. He is autistic; he had a Little Tykes basket and would just make 10-20 baskets in a row, it was amazing, but it was already on the highest setting. So I upgraded him to this one. After it was up, he took 4 shots and they all missed; I was a little worried that it was too tall even at the lowest setting. But then he just stood there, starring at the backboard for the longest time - and then his fifth shot went in. Now he loves it!! And it will grow with him! I love that!

I highly recommend!