What are the Best Gifts for Basketball Lovers?
Quite honestly, finding the perfect gift for my friends and family is one of the most tedious and nerve-wracking jobs I have ever had to deal with. Yes, it is a job in its own right.
Sometimes, there are so many options to choose from. Other times, the choices are not as many and you have no idea what would work with them!
Chances are that you also face the same challenge when you are trying to find the perfect basketball gift for that baller in your life.
Are you a parent who is looking for a basketball gift to surprise your son with? Are you a basketball player trying to find the best gift for your teammate, coach or for yourself? Do you have a friend who is a baller and you can’t figure out what to buy for his birthday?
Look no further as you are just in the right place. We have solutions for each one of you. Here, I have done the research and come up with a list of possible gift ideas that you could buy for that birthday or upcoming holiday.
I hope you will find this information useful.
1. Basketball memoirs and books
I cannot think of a better gift that would perfectly blend with basketball lovers who are also bibliophiles. I mean, why get them something as boring as a sweater when knowledge arouses their curiosity?
There are a lot of best-selling basketball books that have been published in our shelves out there. All you have to do is find the best from the many reviews that have been done.
As an example, you can grab Bilas’ ‘Toughness: Developing True Strength On and Off the Court’ if the intended receiver is a basketball player or a coach.
2. Basketball Socks
Now for people who have no interest in basketball, getting them a pair of socks as a present might be the last thing you want to do. It just sounds boring and cliché. Nothing more.
But for basketball lovers, a pair of high performance basketball socks can be a good shot. There are many brands that have been manufactured by reputable companies such as the Nike Elites.
Besides the style, basketball socks come with a ton of other advantages. Talk of absorbing the extra sweat or moisture for people with sweaty feet, or the improved traction they give.
3. Professional Coaching Clipboards
As noted earlier, this list has gift ideas for every category of potential receivers. There would be no point of buying your young son who loves basketball a professional coaching clipboard. This particular one is meant for basketball coaches.
The clipboard has magnetic tiles which are instrumental when the coach has to illustrate plays. There would be no need of carrying papers anymore, thanks to this innovative technology!
The back of the clipboard also enables the coach to monitor the game as time goes by. If you like, you can combine this gift with the popular book ‘Blackboard Strategies; over 200 Plays from Successful Coaches’
4. Mini Basketball Hoop
Are you looking for a gift that your kid would love? Try getting him or her a mini basketball hoop. Most kids are jumpy and they must be given their playing time. But everyday jumping can be boring as well.
Trust me, there is no better way to make your kid’s games more fun than giving them a hoop. You can mount it to a door or even to the trampoline in your backyard. This will help them to practice on their dunking skills, besides just jumping all day.
If you want to see your backyard become a favorite chilling spot for the kids from your neighborhood, go for this gift idea.
5. A mug with a hoop 
This might sound like a stupid idea at first but trust me, it is worth a shot. The small things count as much.
Is your loved one a basketball fan or player? Do they love coffee or tea? Just grab a mug with a hoop from Amazon at only 25 US dollars. Besides, this can be a great idea if you are working on a budget.
To make the gift sound fancier, you can have the mug customized with their name. I would personally love such a gift as it shows that at least you are thinking outside the box!
6.Agility ladder
Well, this one here works with all categories of ballers, whether a coach or a team member.
Speed is of vital importance when it comes to the game of basketball, as you want to run fast past your opponent and slum that ball down the net. If you can’t, guards will be waiting to ruin your game.
An agility ladder steps in to help you work on your speed. It will help you to improve the co-ordination of your feet.
At just 25 US dollars, you can get this product from Amazon.
7. Shooting Sleeves
Thanks to Allen Iverson (who was the first to rock shooting sleeves when playing), a lot of NBA players are gravitating towards shooting sleeves. They are not about to lose their popularity just yet.
As you could expect, a lot of young players and basketball lovers love to hit their courts in style, mostly imitating their favorite NBA idols.
Basketball signature sneakers would form the perfect example. Once a player launches their brand, everyone else who loves them usually has the urge of buying the shoes.
So you can be sure that the young baller will be more than happy to receive an arm shooting sleeve as a gift. You will have done a lot of justice to their shooting skills.
8. Reversible Basketball Jerseys
As part of their basketball gear, basketball players need to have a lot of jerseys or basketball uniforms to help with their training. The game is pretty intense. It is therefore expected that a baller will be dripping wet by the time they finish their training session.
What happens the next day? Do they just go to their training in their tight casual shirts because their jersey hasn’t dried up yet? Believe it or not, basketball players can never have enough jerseys.
It will be a nice idea to add one to their collections. Yes, that is a great gift idea.
Given that there are many practice jerseys out there made by different brands, you just have to find out what their preference is then go for it.
Instead of buying that random product, opt for a reversible jersey. These can be turned inside out, thus the player can switch to another team with ease.
9. Compression Gear
This is another basketball gear that is popular among top basketball players, and especially NBA players and college competitions. There is quite a wide range of options to choose from when it comes to compression gear.
They include elbow sleeves, compression shorts and compression pants. Besides compression pants being at par with the current fashion, they are useful to the game in their unique way.
For instance, there are compression pants that have paddings (like McDavid 748X), to significantly reduce the risk of injury of injury to players.
Others just keep the muscles of players warm, improving their overall performance and shooting.
10. NBA 2k20
Over the years, video games have gained popularity among sports lovers and especially males. You will be surprised to learn how much of their time they dedicate to the games.
In fact, it is like there is some prestige that comes with winning the virtual games. It sounds corny, but it happens. Just look as PS players around you.
If you have a baller who has an addiction to video games, NBA 2k20 for PS4 or Xbox will be the best gift idea. Go for the most recent version, and check to ensure it matches the console they have.
11. Vertical Jump Training Program
In order to be able to dunk with ease, height is of utmost importance. Unfortunately, not every basketball player is a Yao Ming, Ralph Sampson, or Arvydas Sabonis (by the way, these are the only players who have been selected to the Basketball Hall of fame).
But that does not mean the shorter players cannot do well. Look at Kobe Bryant. He could dunk above the head of Yao Ming. While many players have taken to find the right shoes to help with their vertical jump, they may not be enough.
Practice might help. That is where a vertical jump training program comes in handy. Get your friend this program and watch them work on their game and vertical jump. It works!
12. A Basketball Backpack
All basketball players need a basketball bag that can fit all their basketball gear without having to squeeze them in, as that can be pretty much annoying. Imagine all the things that they need to carry to their training.
A basketball, their basketball shoes, helmet, basketball uniforms, water bottles, name them. There are basketball backpacks that have been specially designed to suit your friend’s needs.
Some have separate compartments that can fit all these gear, including a separate ball net, a separate shoes compartment and some side pockets where they can keep their water bottles.
Just find out what brand they love and grab one.
13. Steph Curry’s Materclass
I doubt if there is a basketball lover who doesn’t know Steph Curry, the famous baller who plays for the Golden State Warriors of the NBA. If you don’t, he is one of the greatest shooters NBA has ever had.
As such, you can get your kid or friend Curry’s masterclass and let them learn from a pro. It consists of video lessons, a 54-page workbook and some short-tracking worksheets.
With lessons on how to dribble, shoot and score, your friend will be glad to drink from Curry’s pot of wisdom. Good luck!
14. Dribble Up Smart Basketball
For basketball players who love tech and related innovations, this is a perfect gift that would keep them smiling all the way to the court. You just have to ensure that they have the passion and dedication to work on their game.
This DribbleUp Smart Basketball is available on Amazon, and has everything that they may require to improve on their dribbling skills.
It has a mobile application where you can access your virtual coach, whose role is to guide you through your practice sessions. The app has a dribble speed meter that tracks your dribbling speed and crossovers.
15. Jersey of the Favorite Team/Player
Every basketball lover probably has a player whom they look up to and even idolize. Likewise, they must be having a team that they support so dearly, to the point that they dread missing their games.
Do you know what would make a player happy? Getting them a jersey that has been customized with the name of their favorite player and the position they play! Oh, or it can be customized with the team name. I bet the first option would work better.
I would love to see how they react upon receiving the gift.
16. The official NBA Basketball
A quality basketball is a necessary requirement for every basketball player, as is a good hoop. They need to train from time to time and even work on their dribbling skills. That means that the ball will be exposed to significant wear and tear.
If your pockets are heavy enough, get them the official Spalding NBA basketball. Since it’s made from genuine leather it will serve them for a while. But I won’t lie, the ball is pretty much expensive!
There are other quality options that you can choose from, that come at a fraction of the price. Try out Wilson Evolution by the reputable Wilson brand. You can also consider the Spalding NBA Street Ball. At least it can be used indoors and outdoors.
17. Basketball shoes
Just like the training jerseys, basketball shoes can never be enough when it comes to rough players. Every player is bound to sweat up a little bit after intense games and trainings.
It is unlikely that they will still want to wear the same pair of shoes to the court the next day. They have to clean them up regularly and they might take some time to dry up. Therefore, you can add a pair to their shoe racks.
Find out their preference. Is it a low top, mid top or high top? Proceed to find out their shoe size, and their favorite brand. You can Google to find out the best option, if it helps.
18. Tickets to a Game
Is your friend’s favorite team playing? Or maybe it could be your kid, family member or your date. Getting a ticket for both of you would be a nice idea!
I bet, it is much more fun watching a basketball game live as it happens than it is watching on your screen.
Try it and thank me later!
19. NBA League Pass
I don’t think there is any basketball lover who would love the idea of having full access to very NBA game as it happens. This would be a good gift idea for that upcoming holiday.
With an NBA league pass, your baller can easily stream the games on Chromecast, Playstation or even Xbox. Even better, there won’t be any interruptions resulting from timeouts or breaks.
Be warned though, you might lose your date to the screen! An NBA League Pass might end up being addictive.
20. A Portable Basketball Hoop
Whether your intended receiver is a kid or an adult, a basketball hoop can turn out to be an appealing gift to them provided they love shooting hoops. You just have to get the one that has features they would want, like say the size or durability.
A hoop would especially spice up your young one’s game. Though he might spend the entire day playing out with friends, at least he will be working on his dunking and shooting skills.
For efficiency, go for a portable hoop so that the receiver can play from whichever place they wish to.
However, the basketball hoops are pretty expensive. At Amazon, they go for 499 US dollars. You can find cheaper ones. Do your research and find at the quality you want.
21. Basketball Ball Return System
Having to go after the ball every time you shoot a free throw can be very exhausting. It might even reduce the duration that you want to take for your training.
A rebounder can be very helpful in this situation. Not only does it allow you to make more shoots and save time, the return system also helps you to improve on your catch and shoot skills.
Conclusion
Finding the best basketball gift for that important person in your life is not impossible after all. I made an analysis and came up with the top 21 gifts, making the work easier for you.
You just have to find out what your special someone loves, as you don’t want to give a video game addict a book to read.
All the best!