Basketball is easily one of the most popular sports in all of the United States and the world. In the U.S. it has the second-highest viewership out of all the sports. With every passing day, the popularity of basketball is increasing and more and more people are starting to divert their interest towards this fast-paced sport. Kids nowadays want to play the game more than ever and want to grow up to be professional basketball players. But before dreaming of becoming the next Stephen Curry or LeBron or Kobe you simply have to stick to the basics and hone your skills. You have to keep working hard and keep training the right way to ensure that your balling skills actually develop while you stay free from stress and injuries. To train properly, raise the level of your game and to stay away from injuries you will require some essential gear and equipment. Here in this article we’ll list out some basic equipment and gear that you must have in order to elevate your game and stay safe. So here goes nothing.
Table of Contents
1. A Proper Basketball Ball
Using the right basketball ball is very important. You must be thinking like “what importance can the right ball have? I mean we could play with any basketball, the main objective is to throw the ball through the hoop.” In actuality if you don’t use a proper basketball ball you won’t be able to elevate your game. A standard basketball is made up of a sphere bladder that holds the air. The bladder is wrapped and covered with nylon threads. On top of that 6 leather panels are glued onto it. It has a whole different feel to it, unlike the cheap $10 balls. Proper basketballs grip properly, don’t hurt the hand when receiving fast passes and enable you to dribble and shoot with ease (because they don’t slip). They have a consistent and reliable bounce and make it easier to nail a lay-up or board shots. The cheap $10 balls are too bouncy and hard and don’t grip properly. IF you get used to playing with these, trust me you’ll have a hard time adjusting to the proper balls, they are just so different. You simply have to train and make your game with the proper basketball ball because those are the balls that are used everywhere. Grab a proper ball and keep training. Your handles and your shooting will definitely get a lot better.
2. Proper Basketball Uniform
Proper basketball uniforms are extremely important. You as a player would want total comfort and zero hindrances when playing. If a player isn’t comfortable it is likely that his or her performance on the court will be pretty shameful. A proper basketball uniform consists of a basketball jersey and a basketball shorts. The basketball jersey is a jersey without sleeves and normally has a very good fit. It is made out of a synthetic fabric which is lightweight, is moisture wicking and is quick-drying as well. Basketball jerseys are also very stretchable and so aid the movement of the player. All these properties enable basketball jerseys to be comfortable at all times and helps the player perform at their maximum potential. The basketball shorts also share the same properties and so keep the wearer comfortable and supports all sorts of movements required by the game. The players can jump, run, twist and turn without any sort of hassle.
3. Proper Basketball Shoes (Ankle High)
I simply cannot emphasize how important proper basketball shoes are to a player. Proper basketball shoes are typically ankle high (they are also known as high tops). These shoes are simply developed and built to be used to play basketball. Proper basketball shoes provide the wearer with exceptional grip that helps players in running, braking, changing directions quickly and jumping as well. These shoes are specially designed to aid all the movements a player has to pull off on the court and elevate the height of the jump of a player as well. You can do all this in high quality running shoes as well but another reason why you should go for high tops is that these shoes also protect the ankle of the wearer. As basketball requires a lot of jumping, it becomes very easy for the player to land awkwardly and twist his or her ankle. A lot of times the landing is so bad that the player can even break his or her ankle. High tops prevent that from happening. They tightly grip the players ankles and provides a constant support, which saves you from twisting your ankles. If you haven’t worn ankle highs as yet, it’ll take a little time to get accustomed to but once you get the hang of them, you’ll never want to wear low tops again. No matter what level you play in, you should always invest in proper ankle high basketball shoes.