The Supreme Court Building in Washington, DC, has a small basketball gymnasium on the fifth floor for judges, law clerks, and others. The gym has a history of famous players and has undergone renovations.
The appearance of the Supreme Court Building in Washington, DC, sets the tone: serious business is done here, as reflected in the neoclassical design, with Roman columns guarding the entrance. But on the fifth floor, there’s a spot where a Supreme Court justice can shed the iconic robe and slip into some hoodies and trainers. Known as “the highest courthouse in the country,” the top floor of the Supreme Court Building, a National Historic Landmark, houses a small basketball gymnasium. The basketball court is one of the perks for judges, law clerks, and anyone with a game who might know someone who knows someone. Takeout games are common at lunchtime, especially among the many young law hopefuls who work at the Supreme Court.
Three points about the SCOTUS gym:
The late Judge Byron “Whizzer” White, a college football star at the University of Colorado, scored goals on the “high court” in his 70s, sometimes going one-on-one with Judge Clarence Thomas.
Judge Thomas tore his Achilles tendon during a gym match; the injury ended his playing days.
In 1984, new flooring was installed, and in 1997, the wooden backboards were replaced with Plexiglas. There are no benches and the pitch is smaller than the regulation.
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