The many parts of a basketball

By: Christopher Burgos

 

 

 

 

 

Contents:

Page 1: Background history of basketball and the ball itself.

Page 2-4: The three different kinds of basketballs.

Page 4-6: Images of how different kinds of basketballs look like.

Page 7: References

 

 

 

 

 

 

The game of basketball was created in the late 19th century, in the year 1891 to be exact, by a man named James Naismith. The game of basketball was created as an alternative to Football due to the fact that basketball is a less injury prone sport. Basketball was originally meant to condition athletes in the winter knowing that playing football in the cold would be a harsh environment to play in for the body as opposed to the warmth of playing basketball in an indoor gym. James Naismith was 31 years old when he created the game of basketball while working at a YMCA. Basketball first began in 1946 in New York, but the very first game was played in a small gym in Springfield, Massachusetts. Furthermore, when it comes to how the basketball was made out of, the first basketball game was originally played with a soccer ball. However, the very first basketballs were brown and made out of leather with a rubber bladder inside, this version of the basketball was invented in 1942. Additionally, this paper will discuss how basketballs are made and the elements they contain, such as the kind of skin they have: Leather, synthetic leather, and rubber, as well as the environment they are meant to be used for: hardwood floors, and concrete floors.

There are three different types of materials when it comes to a basketball, leather, synthetic leather, and rubber. Leather basketballs are made out of 100% leather and are best used in hardwood floors. These kinds of basketballs feel rough when you first purchase them, but as you play around with it more, it will become softer and more broken in. For example, “When a leather ball is new, it may feel somewhat hard to feel, but with a bit of wear, it becomes soft having an appealing broken-in feel.”(Lorelie.2012) Furthermore, the process of making these kinds of basketball is how the spherical bladder of the ball which would be the bare basketball without the orange patterns is made out of vulcanized rubber that holds the air necessary for the ball to function properly. After that, the ball is covered with six nylon threads which are then glued on by hand. Additionally, along with the leather basketball, the court you play on is also just as important. Hardwood courts are the best way to enjoy a 100% leather basketball to the fullest. The smooth floor of a hardwood court allows for maximum durability when it comes to playing basketball and the ball itself will not have any dirt spots or wear and tear for a very long time. Ultimately, the best version of a basketball would be the synthetic leather and all professionals at the highest level use these kinds of balls.

Basketballs with synthetic leather are seen as the hybrid between 100% leather and rubber basketballs due to the fact that they can be used both indoors and outdoors. Synthetic basketballs are made out of artificial leather that feels soft as soon as it has been purchased. For example, “Since it is synthetic, the material has a uniform feel which is why it does not need to be broken-in as it already has that soft feel even when new.”(Lorelie.2012). Basketballs with synthetic leather can be used in any basketball court, among them would be concrete courts where almost everyone plays in these types of courts, they are able to withstand any kind of weather conditions and still be playable. The example is, “Community parks use these materials for their basketball courts due to their strength and durability as well as the ability to withstand harsh weather conditions.”(Lorelie.2012). Ultimately, synthetic would be a cheaper alternative to 100% leather and the fact that synthetic leather can be used in any setting when it comes to courts adds an advantage to playing almost anywhere, however knowing that the leather is artificial, the ball will not last as long as a basketball that has 100% leather.

Rubber basketballs are mainly used among beginners of the game. Rubber basketballs are the most common type of basketball you will see outside due to the fact that it works best on concrete floors. The example would be, “These basketballs are lined with rubber covering and are ideal for concrete surfaces.  Rubber basketballs are perfect for beginners, especially since they are the cheapest to produce.”(Lorelie.2012). Additionally, rubber basketballs are more common among basketball players who wish to learn the basics and are softer than leather basketballs which means that they are easier for newer players to learn and get a hold of. A basketball has black lines around the sphere to help improve the grip when playing the sport of basketball, which means that the black lines around the ball will help you shoot the basketball more efficiently and these black lines will also help you dribble the basketball with more ease. Here are some examples of Leather, synthetic leather, and rubber basketballs.
This kind of basketball material would be synthetic leather, which means that the leather around the basketball is artificial. You can also see that under the “NBA” logo it states, “Indoor/Outdoor”. This demonstrates this kind of basketball is synthetic and will perform the same way indoors and outdoors which means that it will last if you play on a hardwood court. Once again, this kind of basketball comes in very soft and does need weeks of play for it to perform at its peak.

This kind of basketball material would be leather. These kinds of basketballs are best played on hardwood floors. Many different color schemes are used throughout basketball. For example, this leather ball would be the official game ball of the Federal International Basketball Association (FIBA). There are also different patterns as far as the black lines go with the two horizontal lines going around the basketball. This does not affect grip, ball handling or shooting, but it is only different due to there being different levels of basketball and leagues.

This kind of basketball would be rubber. These kinds of basketballs work best on concrete floors due to them being able to last longer as far as dribbling them on harsh concrete. Leather basketballs would not be able to last on these conditions based on the fact that they should only be played on hardwood. When it comes to beginners rubber basketballs are the best to use, due to the fact that they are more durable, are softer, and are easy to handle in different court settings.

In conclusion, there are many different kinds of basketballs, such as leather, synthetic leather, and rubber. Although many may see basketballs as all in the same, they all have their uses when it comes to the kind of environment they should be played such as hardwood courts which are indoor courts, and concrete courts which are outdoor courts.

Reference page:

Lorelie. “Different types of basketballs and court surfaces”. Basketball91. Basketball91.com. 9 November 2012. Web. 16 March 2020.

Chanie Kirschner. “Here’s how basketballs, baseballs and footballs are made”. MNN. mnn.com. 7 November 2017. Web 16 March 2020.

(Picture of basketball). Wilson. Amazon. Amazon.com. Web. 16 March 2020.