What Equipment Is Needed for Basketball | Complete Guide

Basketball is a sport that requires much physical agility and strength, but most importantly, it requires team cooperation.

When you get on that basketball court, you need to be physically and mentally prepared to work and help your teammates bring home a win.

If this is your first time getting into basketball, you might find yourself overwhelmed by all the rules and terminology of the game, and more importantly, you might find yourself lost in all the choices of available equipment.

This is why we have created a basketball equipment guide for you, a place where you will find suggestions and recommendations for acquiring all the essential equipment to play basketball. No matter what position you play in basketball, here’s what’s needed to play basketball:

After becoming knowledgeable about the above equipment, you’ll quickly discover that you don’t need much to begin playing basketball. This is superb, and it means many people can participate in this sport due to its low barrier to entry.

Want to know more information about the above products? I suggest you read the below:

Equipment Needed For Basketball

The kit contains suggestions for all the essential sports equipment, clothing, and accessories you might need during your time practicing or playing basketball with your friends and teammates.

These suggestions can work as starting points for finding the equipment that best works for you. A lot of time finding the appropriate equipment can take trial and error, but we are confident that you will get started with the following suggestions and understand some of the necessities for playing. 

T-Shirt & Jerseys

One of the first things that we would encourage you to consider is the sportswear you wear to play basketball. While using any shirts and shorts that you have available can seem enticing at first, you will find that that clothing is not usually made for such a high-action sport.

We recommend that you invest in some good T-shirts and Jerseys. Our suggestions are the Adidas Crazy Explosive Shooter Jersey and the Adidas Crazy Explosive Jersey.  

Both of these are made from 100% Polyester, and thus, the fabric is more resistant to shrinking and wrinkling than cotton. Polyester is also lightweight and reacts better to moisture than traditional cotton shirts.

This can be very important as you are playing the sport. Some of the material on the shirts is mesh, which allows for more breathability.

Shorts

It would help if you considered buying athletic shorts like the Adidas Pro Sport Athletic Shorts on that same stream of thought. 

These are also made of Polyester and have a pull-on closure and elastic waistband to ensure that the fit is secure.

This means that you will not need to readjust your clothing throughout the game. This is why we recommend choosing clothing specifically made for the sport rather than casual wear.

Compression Socks

For socks, we recommend you opt for some compression socks as they are better for your circulation, and you are bound to be on your feet for a long time.

Our suggestion is the Beenut Elite Basketball Athletic Sports Socks. These crew socks have moisture-wicking, moisture-management fibers and air-circulating ventilation channels, which will be necessary once you start running around and sweating.

Players will often wear two pairs of socks, here’s why they do so.

Shoes

For shoes, we recommend purchasing basketball-specific shoes as they tend to provide more support around the ankle. A great starting choice for this is the Adidas Men’s Harden Stepback Basketball Shoe. 

Of course, as everyone’s foot is slightly different, we recommend that you visit your local sports store to try the shoes and make sure they fit you properly. Proper footwear is perhaps the most critical part of the clothing for basketball.

Footwear can provide ankle support, which is very important when jumping or running. This is why basketball shoes tend to offer extra support to the ankle, as the sport requires a lot of jumping and running, which can strain your body.

More importantly, having footwear that does not offer proper support could result in injury, which could mean that you would not be able to play the sport for quite some time until your muscles and bones fully heal.

Correct footwear and sportswear can make your entire playing experience much more enjoyable. The fabric used tends to be breathable and reacts to moisture much better than a cotton shirt.

Once you have purchased all the essential sportswear needed to play, you could get some accessories. These can help protect specific body parts and keep your body healthy while you play.

Before you wear your basketball shoes, we’ve created a complete guide to help you break in your new basketball shoes.

Accessories 

Basketball accessories are not decorative, but they can play a huge part in protecting parts of your body that might be more vulnerable than others. Depending on your specific body part, you can consider getting accessories for protection and support.

Keeping your body healthy while practicing will mean that you will practice for longer and not hurt your body. We strongly recommend that you consider purchasing accessories that can help you maintain your body’s health.

Compression Accessories

Our first suggestion is that you can consider getting a leg sleeve. Leg sleeves such as the Compression Full-Length Leg Sleeves are compression full leg sleeves that can help provide extra comfort and prevent muscle soreness, leg pain, and swelling.

In that same vein of thought, you might want to consider getting UV Sun Protection Compression Arm Sleeves. This has the same effects as the leg sleeves but can protect your arms instead of your legs.

Compression shorts can also provide cooling technology, and it generally dries faster, allowing for more comfort when playing for long hours.

We recommend using the Hanes Sport Men’s Performance Compression Short if you want extra comfort when playing.

Compression clothing is perfect for blood circulation, essential for your body while playing a game.

Having good blood circulation will also mean that your body can keep your body more relaxed while playing. This is why compression shorts, leg, and arm sleeves can be essential in keeping your body healthy after the long hours of working out and practicing.

Warmup Jacket

Another essential accessory to consider is a Warmup Jacket. Having a Jacket means that you allow your muscles to remain warm before and after exercise.

If you would like to check out some warmup jackets, we recommend the Dickies Dynamix Men Warm Up Scrubs Jacket Zip Front DK310. Having a jacket can allow your muscles the time necessary for them to relax after you have exercised.

Sweatbands

Finally, depending on your hairstyle, you might consider getting an Under Armour Men’s Performance Headband to keep your hair out of your face while playing. If you tend to sweat a lot, you might want to consider getting the 6 Pieces Wrist Sweatbands Sports Wristbands to absorb the sweat and even use it to wipe off the sweat from your face.

Basketball

You will also need a ball to play the sport outside of the clothing accessories described. This is one of the only essential accessories for playing basketball as it is a necessary accessory for playing.

If you want a basketball, we recommend purchasing the Wilson Evolution Game Basketball.

The accessories described above can make it more enjoyable to play the game for long hours, meaning you can spend more time with your friends and teammates.

Using a good basketball and appropriate accessories will mean you will always feel prepared to play with your team whenever you enter a court.

If your basketball gets slippery or doesn’t hold air, these articles will help you.

If you’re someone who plays pickup basketball, check out these best basketballs for pickups games.

Training Equipment 

All of the items described above can be used to play basketball with your friends, teams, or on any court you find. Still, if you would like to train and become a better player, you might need to purchase and install some training equipment to have the opportunity to improve your game.

While having a proper court can be expensive, you can always get some equipment to assist.

Basketball Hoop

For starters, one of the first things you should consider purchasing is a Basketball Hoop. You will practice playing 1v1s with your friends or shooting by having a basketball hoop.

This can be great practice as it will assist you in becoming stronger in your arms and hands and becoming better at aiming. We would recommend this Basketball Hoop. This would be the perfect hoop for families with children and adults of different heights and ages.

This is because the hoop is adjustable, and many different people will enjoy shooting the ball into this hoop.

Many people will use chain nets or laced nets. Learn why basketball hoops have nets and why you may need one.

Agility Hurdles

We recommend getting agility hurdles if you want to train and increase your stamina and agility. Several exercises can improve your speed and strength by purchasing agility hurdles like the SKLZ 6-Inch Ultra Durable Agility Hurdles.

Because of the height of these agility hurdles, they make it easy to develop your agility and optimize your footwork which will be helpful regardless of the sport you choose to play.

These are also great because of how lightweight they are; you can always take these with you wherever you go, which means that you will train on the go.

Basketball Hoop Return Attachment

If you want to do training even easier, you can use a Basketball Return Attachment. These will make it easier for the ball to return to you after shooting it into the hoop.

We recommend the SKLZ Kick-Out Basketball Return Attachment as it can be both sturdy and quick in its assembly. A return attachment can speed up the process and keep your ball within your training area.

Dummy Trainer

Finally, if you are playing alone and there are no others around you who can help with your training, you can purchase training dummies during your practice sessions.

These are commonly referred to as D men or Defender Trainers and are used to block your way while shooting the ball into the hoop.

We recommend the SKLZ D-Man Basketball Defender Dummy Trainer as they are big and have their hands upright. This position means that you will get used to having the ball blocked, and learning how to block and move when someone is in your way during the game is essential.

These are perfect for long hours of training and anyone enthusiastic about basketball as a sport. These are portable which means that you can also transfer them if you want to train at a nearby court.

Using training equipment will mean accelerating the speed at which you improve your skills and abilities. Everything that you learn while using the training equipment will then need to be adapted into your gameplay.

Having a regular team that you play with will also help you improve your gameplay and technique when playing with others.

Basketball is a team sport, so increasing the communication you have with your teammates will be the thing that most dramatically alters how good your team performs when you are playing against other teams.

Conclusion

We hope this kit will prove helpful for all of you who are entering the sport right now. Remember to choose equipment that works for you. As mentioned, this can sometimes take a bit of trial and error, but it’ll undoubtedly be worth it when you finally find clothing that suits your needs.