Choosing a Promotional Basketball

What is a Basketball Made Of?

The top of the market basketballs are made from leather which is not only treated before manufacture but is also subjected to 400 bounces to "break it in". This ensures that whether you get a basketball as a promo gift or want one for matches whilst adverting either your brand or club, the ball will just perfectly.

The recreational and promotional quality level balls are made from synthetic rubber, which unlike a rugby ball, is not stitched but moulded into shape. Starting with hemispheres, the pieces are moulded under temperature and pressure mediums to create a perfect sphere.

Printing Onto a Basketball

Because of the manufacturing process, putting your company logo onto a basketball is limited to screen print with all the limitation of tone and detail. Big bold colours work much better than anything too small and detailed. Also, because very often basketballs are made in a ‘reddish- brown’ colour to mirror the standard balls, we have seen some very effective decoration done using an embossing and foil effects.

Basketball Colours

Of course when we picture basketballs, we imagine the orange panels. However, for promotional purposes, the rubber can be any colour. The thing to be aware of is that the colour is created here not by printing – the colour is created by adding dye to the rubber during the curing process. This is effective but the ability to hit a pantone reference exactly is often exaggerated by the manufacturers.

Basketball Size

The full size ball is a size 7 and other training and match sizes are defined as:

• A size 5 Basketball, is designed for players up to age 11. The ball has a circumference of 27.75 inches and weighs 18 ounces.
• A size 6 Basketball, is designed for players between the ages of 11 and 14. The ball has a circumference of 28.5 inches and weighs 20 ounces. This ball is also typically used for female players, and is the official size for basketballs in the WNBA, the female equivalent of the NBA in the US.
• A size 7 Basketball, is designed for all male and professional players, 14 years and above. The ball has a circumference of 29.5 inches and weighs 22 ounces. This is the size you might typically find in a high street store and is the size played by those in the NBA and BBL.

For promotional purposes the mini ball is ideal – these start at around 13cm diameter (Size 1) and go to the Size 3 (18cm diameter). You may have a direct interest in basketball, maybe your client does, but even if neother of you don't, these promotional products are going to be so much more effective than any typical desk item. Your efforts are going to be much more memorable.