Officials in New York City are making sure the famous public basketball courts are not a hub for the coronavirus ... they've shut down ALL public courts and have begun removing rims.
"New York City is a proud basketball town and we would never remove hoops unless absolutely necessary," a rep for NYC Dept. of Parks and Recreation tells TMZ Sports.
"In an effort to protect the health of City residents, all basketball courts are currently closed."
We're told the move to shut down ALL public courts was made on April 6 and will last until officials believe the danger is gone.