Basketball Hoop Assembly

Abstract

A basketball hoop includes a base portion having an enclosed interior cavity. A first aperture is formed in the base portion and extends from an exterior of the base portion to the enclosed interior cavity. An upper portion is secured to the base portion, and a rim is secured to the upper portion and is configured to support a net.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A basketball hoop assembly comprising:
 a base portion having an enclosed interior cavity;   a first aperture formed in the base portion and extending from an exterior of the base portion to the enclosed interior cavity;   an upper portion secured to the base portion; and   a rim secured to the upper portion and configured to support a net.   
     
     
         2 . The basketball hoop assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a second aperture formed in the base portion. 
     
     
         3 . The basketball hoop assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one projection on one of the base portion and the upper portion; and   at least one recess in the other of the base portion and the upper portion that mates with the at least one projection.   
     
     
         4 . The basketball hoop of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one projection comprises a pair of projections on the upper portion and the at least one recess comprises a mating pair of recesses formed in the base portion. 
     
     
         5 . The basketball hoop of  claim 1 , further comprising a pair of wheels rotatably secured to a bottom of the base portion. 
     
     
         6 . The basketball hoop of  claim 1 , further comprising a ball recess formed in the base portion and configured to receive a basketball. 
     
     
         7 . The basketball hoop of  claim 6 , further comprising at least one nub formed on a bottom surface of the recess and configured to help retain a basketball within the recess. 
     
     
         8 . The basketball hoop of  claim 6 , wherein a bottom surface of the recess is sloped downwardly toward a front of the base portion. 
     
     
         9 . The basketball hoop of  claim 6 , further comprising a recess drain aperture formed in a bottom surface of the ball recess. 
     
     
         10 . The basketball hoop of  claim 9 , wherein the recess drain aperture extends through the base portion from a bottom surface of the ball recess to a bottom surface of the base portion. 
     
     
         11 . The basketball hoop of  claim 1 , further comprising an additional upper portion, the additional upper portion having a width and height that is different than a width and a height of the upper portion. 
     
     
         12 . The basketball hoop of  claim 1 , wherein a portion of a front surface of the upper portion is substantially planar and defines a backboard. 
     
     
         13 . The basketball hoop of  claim 12 , and further comprising a recess formed in the backboard that defines a shooter's square. 
     
     
         14 . The basketball hoop of  claim 1 , wherein the rim is releasably secured to the upper portion by a pair of screws received in a mating pair of threaded inserts seated in a pair of rim mounting recesses formed in the rim. 
     
     
         15 . The basketball hoop of  claim 1 , wherein the rim comprises an upper half and a lower half secured to the upper half. 
     
     
         16 . The basketball hoop of  claim 15 , wherein the lower half is welded to the upper half. 
     
     
         17 . The basketball hoop of  claim 15 , wherein the lower half is secured to the upper half by a plurality of snap hook fasteners. 
     
     
         18 . The basketball hoop of  claim 15 , wherein the lower half is secured to the upper half by a plurality of rim screws received in mating threaded inserts seated in rim recesses formed in the rim. 
     
     
         19 . The basketball hoop of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of net apertures formed in the rim. 
     
     
         20 . A basketball hoop assembly comprising:
 a base portion having an enclosed interior cavity;   a first aperture formed in the base portion proximate a top of the base portion and extending from an exterior of the base portion to the enclosed interior cavity;   a second aperture formed in the base portion proximate a bottom of the base portion and extending from an exterior of the base portion to the enclosed interior cavity;   a ball recess formed in the base portion and configured to receive a basketball;   a pair of wheels rotatably secured to a bottom of the base portion;   an upper portion releasably secured to the base portion, a substantially planar portion of a front of the upper portion defining a backboard;   a recess formed in the backboard that defines a shooter's square;   a rim secured to the upper portion; and   a net secured to the rim.