Fonde Recreation Center

"To play here," reads the plaque on the Fonde Recreation Center's gym wall, "your game has got to be established, your desire must be proven, and your love for the game had better be pure." Anyone is welcome on the court during free play at the facility just west of downtown, but this is the place that serious ballers — including local NBA players during the off-season — flock for serious pickup. Next to the plaque on the wall, the gym even has its own, exclusive Hall of Fame, with tributes to some NBA journeymen who spent decades starring on the well-kept court. The place has a time-warp classic feel of the kind that might inspire a player to throw a bounce pass, or a mean, off-the-ball screen. There's also plenty of room on the bleachers for fans looking to be wowed by Houston's best ballers.