Traveling is typically a good thing. In California, visitors travel from near and far to visit 280 state parks located all over the Golden State. One could say traveling through California’s state parks is a slam dunk! 

About the only time when traveling is a bad thing is in basketball, where a traveling violation for taking steps without dribbling the ball results in turning the ball over to the other team.  

While basketball doesn’t share California State Parks’ love of traveling, there are plenty of things we have in common. To that end, here’s the latest in our occasional “What If” series matching some of our 280 state parks with things that are, well, not state parks. 

Here are 12 state parks for 12 pro basketball teams. 

Los Angeles Lakers:Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area

Fun fact: 13 state parks have “lake” in their name, and even more parks are on a lakeshore (see Sacramento Kings entry for just one example). All said, state parks cover 970 miles of lake and river frontage in California, ranging from vast reservoirs to majestic alpine waters. But for the franchise with the silver medal for most titles all time (17, trailing only the Boston Celtics at 18) we’re going with Silverwood Lake, the highest reservoir in the State Water Project. High in the heart of the San Bernardino National Forest and formed by Cedar Springs Dam, Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area offers views of snow-capped mountain peaks and features hiking trails, swimming beaches and designated areas for boating, waterskiing and fishing. Talk about a high-water mark! 

Los Angeles Clippers: Fort Ross State Historic Park

This park along the Sonoma Coast – which preserves the site of a thriving Russian-American Company settlement from 1812 to 1841 – might not be the first park that comes to mind when you think of LA’s “other” pro basketball team, but hear us out. Out in Fort Ross Cove lies the wreckage of the SS Pomona, which sank in 1908 while traveling from San Francisco to Eureka. It’s now a superb site for scuba diving. While not exactly a sunken ship, this oft-downtrodden franchise that shares a name with a nautical vessel has been a wreck for most of its existence, though more recently has been on the upswing and boasts a sparkling new arena. 

Golden State Warriors:Humboldt Redwoods State Park

From ancient redwoods to aging stars, both of these iconic California fixtures have had a quite a run – but only one stands up better to Father Time. While Steph Curry and Draymond Green are in the twilight of their careers, Humboldt Redwoods State Park is still going strong with the largest remaining old-growth redwood forest in the world, best experienced on the 32-mile-long Avenue of the Giants. 

Sacramento Kings:Kings Beach State Recreation Area

On the sandy north shore of Lake Tahoe, an easy two-hour jaunt from Sacramento, lies Kings Beach State Recreation Area. This popular summertime destination offers all kinds of water recreation with snow-capped mountains glistening in the distance. The Kings have long been attempting to reach pro basketball’s glistening mountaintop but still have never reached the NBA Finals during their four decades in California’s capital city. 

Denver Nuggets:California State Mining and Mineral Museum

With a number of parks that have a connection to the Gold Rush, there were no shortage of options for the 2023 NBA champions. We’re going with a museum where visitors can actually see golden nuggets! Located in historic Mariposa – where explorers John C. Fremont and Kit Carson found the rich Mariposa Vein and opened the first mill to crush ore and extract gold in California – this museum showcases California’s rich mining history and the variety of the state’s mineral wealth with exhibits of breathtaking gems and minerals. 

Detroit Pistons:Railtown 1897 State Historic Park

We’re matching the team from the Motor City with this state historic park that stands as a love letter to the original vehicle powered by pistons: the locomotive. This one-of-a-kind attraction in the Sierra Nevada foothills combines industrial heritage and railroad history with the lore of Hollywood’s film industry while offering steam train rides on weekends during the spring, summer and fall. 

Memphis Grizzlies:Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park

With many state parks on land once inhabited by now-extinct California grizzlies, there were countless options to choose from to pair with this franchise that got its start in Vancouver, Canada (where the grizzly mascot makes much more sense than Memphis). But we’re going with the one park with grizzly in its name, a 400-acre sublime redwood forest full of big trees and few people, located on the tranquil Van Duzen River. 

Miami Heat:Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

Though it will never be confused with taking its talents to South Beach, California’s largest state park does provide a scorching hot pairing with the Florida franchise with three NBA titles. Amid the blazing Colorado Desert in a remote section of San Diego, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is one of the state’s hottest places, with summertime temperatures sometimes rivaling those of Death Valley National Park. Summertime visitors are cautioned to not spend too much time in direct sunlight and bring plenty of water. A more forgiving time to visit is early spring, when wildflower blooms can offer awe-inspiring sites.  

Minnesota Timberwolves:Jack London State Historic Park

A unique mixture of history and nature, this state park preserves the home and ranch estate of the famed early 20th century author whose best-known works, The Call of the Wild and White Fang, depict interactions with wolves in the frigid Klondike. Park visitors will note the many connections to wolves, most notably the remains of the Wolf House, London’s dream house that was destroyed by fire in 1913 just weeks before he and his wife were set to move in.  

Phoenix Suns:Huntington State Beach

The team from the Valley of the Sun meets a hotspot often associated with the sport of the endless summer: surfing. Located in Surf City USA, the 121-acre beach on the Orange County coast hosts some of the world’s biggest surfing competitions and draws hundreds of thousands of visitors year-round to surf, swim, sunbathe and fish. It’s also among the state beaches dotting Orange County known for their fantastic sunsets. 

Portland Trail Blazers:Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area

Talk about a layup! With 5,200 miles of trails in the State Park System, the team from Rip City fits with almost any state park. But we’re going to go a bit off the beaten path and match them with our largest State Vehicular Recreation Area (parks designed specifically for off-highway vehicle riding). With approximately 85,000 acres of magnificent desert terrain open for off-highway exploration and recreation, visitors have almost unlimited options to blaze their own path. To learn more, check out our Adventure of the Month on Ocotillo Wells. 

New Orleans Pelicans:Pelican State Beach

No explanation needed for this one! We’re matching the Pelicans with the state beach of the same name. This undeveloped, secluded site on the Oregon border is the northern most beach in California and is perfect for walking and beachcombing. 

Tell us what you think of this list. Did we hit nothing but net or brick it off the rim? Let us know in the comments.