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Basketball Gifts for Your Sports Fan

Current Best Discount:
20% Off Your Order at footlocker.com - code: LKS13VE7., Ladyfootlocker.com - code: LKS14VE9., or kidsfootlocker.com - code: LKS15VE9. Valid 12/2 - 12/5. Valid online only. Some exclusions may apply.

Do you have a basketball player or a basketball fan on your gift list? If so, check out these basketball gift ideas.

Overview of basketball gift suggestions

1. Basketball Video Games
2. Basketball Jerseys
3. Basketball(s)
4. Tickets to a Basketball Game
5. A Basketball Hoop
6. Basketball Shoes
7. Sports Apparel
8. Training Aids
9. Basketball Videos
10. Basketball Cards/Memorabilia

As NBAStore.com is often the best place to find some of these basketball gifts, here is the current discount through BBT&T (some exclusions may apply):
Receive 15% off orders of any amount @ NBAStore.com through 12/31/2011.

Basketball Video Games

All kids (big and small alike) love video games, and if they're a fan of basketball, they'll love basketball video games even more.

The NBA is back and so is Michael Jordan! Well, at least in NBA 2K12. This time he brought some friends, though, like Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Dr. J and more! I highly recommend this for your basketball fan young or old. They've even recreated old rivalries like Pistons vs. Bulls, Lakers vs. Celtics, etc. Of course all of today's stars and teams are included as well! Check out the video teasers on Amazon below.

What you need to know:

• What kind of video game system do they have?
• Do they already have this video game?

Jerseys

Basketball (or Football) jerseys are another great gift for the sports fan in your life. Everyone's got a favorite player, and many more than one. The great thing about jerseys, though, is that there are a variety for the same player. There are always at least two choices, the home jersey (white) and the away jersey (dark). Many teams even have an alternate jersey or a throwback jersey. The possibilities for jerseys are endless, and any basketball fan will definitely appreciate a jersey.

Below is a "mini-store" from NBAStore.com. It provides easy browsing for you to find replica jerseys of your giftee's favorite player. Enter the player in the search box, or the player and team (i.e. "Carmelo Anthony Knicks" to browse through some jerseys you can get as one of your basketball gifts.

Here is a list of popular players and recent team changes...

Kobe Bryant - L.A. Lakers	Derrick Rose - Chicago Bulls	LeBron James - Miami Heat
Carmelo Anthony - NY Knicks	Amare Stoudemire - NY Knicks	Daron Williams - New Jersey Nets
Kevin Durant - OKC Tunder	Carlos Boozer - Chicago Bulls	Kevin Garnett - Boston Celtics
Dwight Howard - Orlando Magic	Blake Griffin - LA Clippers	Tim Duncan - S.A. Spurs

These are just some of the most popular players as examples, but there are many more great players with jerseys that aren't listed above you can search for below.

A Basketball (or 2)

A basketball is one of the best basketball gifts you can give someone that plays basketball. It doesn't matter if your basketball fan already has a basketball, there's always room for another one. I got my now 15 yo nephew a basketball for Christmas last year...it was the first thing out of the box and he had it with him the rest of my visit. A basketball was also the first thing my friends' son wanted to get when he returned from Florida last year.

Basketballs can wear out, they get smooth, even the never-flat basketballs will get "bald" and need to be replaced. In addition, a second ball is always handy (and sometimes necessary), and can be used for ball handling drills or when a friend comes over to shoot around as well.

The kind of ball depends on how old/big the person you are getting the gift for is, and where they are going to play. The official adult size is 29.5. Younger players will need a youth ball or intermediate ball (28.5), and females will need a woman's ball (28.5). If they are going to be playing outside, then an indoor basketball isn't very good. Personally, I like the "hybrid" indoor/outdoor basketballs that are composite. You can get a great basketball for around $30-$35 and a decent one for around $20-$25.

I like NBAStore.com (under sporting goods) for basketballs. You can also search basketballs below (includes NBAstore), or go with this true grip ball from Champs Sports. Now Only $17.99!
If searching, I recommend typing in "composite" and the size you want (29.5)

Basketball Tickets

If you're able to get your fan to a game, then that is the ultimate gift for them. There is nothing better than being there. I'll say it again...NOTHING BETTER THAN BEING THERE! If you can, go to a game! I took my parents, grandpa, nephew, and a lot of friends to their first games, and there was no better feeling than seeing how much they enjoyed themselves.

I didn't get to watch a game until I went off to school, and missed out on some great players that I would have loved to see (like Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen in their prime). But, just the live experience (especially during the playoffs - highly recommended!), is something that can't be described. The first thing I did when I finally got a corporate job was to get season tickets to the Denver Nuggets and make up for lost time.

Now I know it can be expensive even just for tickets. Then if you're not in an NBA town you've got to spend money to get there, etc. All of that is well worth it, though. All those people I said that I took to their first game had the time of their life! It's definitiely one of the best gifts you can get a basketball fan.

My experience, the top seats (inaffectionately called the "nosebleeds") were ok for my first game, I still loved it because I was there. I will say, though, that it was soooo much better sitting on the lower level. Honestly, I don't think you need to get the most expensive sideline seats, though if I can ever afford it, I'm going to go as close to courtside as possible. For me, the best deal is the first corner section in the lower level right next to the sideline sections. This is where my season tickets were, 12 rows up just off to the side of the bench. I could see both ends of the court, and the one closest to me was really clear.

There are a few places you can look for tickets. The 1st party seller is Ticketmaster.com. I recommend checking out Ebay.com for basketball tickets as well. When I had my season tickets I sold a number of them on ebay, many below face value. When looking, look for someone willing to e-mail the tickets (season-ticket holders are able to e-mail an e-ticket) and that don't have negative feedback. You can check out some of the feedback I got on ebay (boony33) to see what you can look for. I DO NOT recommend looking on Craigslist for tickets, I've never had problems, but I've heard of others that have. I also recommend checking Ticket Liquidators to see if you can get a good deal.

Basketball Hoop

If at all possible, get an adjustable hoop, with a breakaway rim. What this means is that the hoop can be adjusted to lower levels (for having fun dunking, or for younger players) and the rim "breaks away" so that it doesn't bend. Of course, there are other options as well. If you have a drive-way with a garage, then you just need a backboard. You can also get a portable system. It just depends on the area you have available and your budget.

This is a great family gift, especially if you have a family with athletic brothers and sisters. It can get your kids to go outside and get some exercise while having fun, and keep them out of trouble. It also keeps them from getting bored, I know me and my friends were outside all of the time, even in the winter (we shoveled off the court). I know this isn't a very practical gift, but it's a great "big" gift that can be enjoyed by all.

Again, I like NBAStore.com In the sporting goods section, they have quite a few choices of portable systems, in-ground systems, and backboards. There is both an in-ground and a portable adjustable system with break-away rims for $399 and below and free or discounted shipping that have great reviews (i.e. Spalding Pro-Glide Systems).

Basketball Shoes

Another one of the great sports gifts you can give is basketball shoes, or, well, any training shoes. Athletes like them for both their function and their style. This is where the questions like "what are there team colors?" and "who is their favorite player?" come into play again. If there favorite player is Chris Paul, then they may like some Chris Paul shoes, for example.

Of course, you'll also need to know their size and what they already have, so they're a little more difficult to buy as gifts, but I see it work all the time. If anything, err on the side of too big, especially if they're still groing. Anyways, shoes can do a number of things: they can help prevent injuries, give more confidence, and add more style to a wardrobe, thus making them a great gift.

You probably have to shop around for the best deals on basketball shoes. The shoes shop below is an easy way to compare prices between NBAStore.com, DicksSportingGoods.com, and SportsAuthority.com. I also recommend checking out the Athletic Apparel page for discounts and links to other great basketball shoe sources like Eastbay.com and Champs Sports (they unfortunately don't offer the same functionality to be included below).

Sports Apparel

Sports apparel can be considered a number of different things for sports gifts. Some of it's been covered already (jerseys, shoes), but anything from shirts, shorts, training gear, etc. can also be a great gift. This is where you consider what they like to wear. You can get anything from dress clothes to training clothes with a college, NBA, WNBA, or basketball logo on it.

Check out the Fan Gear and Athletic Apparel pages for apparel stores and items.

Basketball Videos

When I was younger, I don't know how many time I watched Michael Jordan's Playground, Come Fly With Me, Bulls 3-Peat, and other Chicago Bulls or Michael Jordan videos. I just couldn't get enough. I still watch the videos such as Michael Jordan - The Ultimate Collection (pretty much all those I had when I was younger combined onto a couple of DVD's). These videos are fun to watch, and inspire to go and play basketball.

Any videos like these would be great basketball gifts. Here again is where you might ask "who is their favorite team?". A Lakers fan might like something like the NBA Championship video, or a Dynasty video. Michael Jordan - The Ultimate Collection is also a great choice for any basketball fan. There are pretty much Dynasty videos out there for most teams now (Knicks, Celtics, Bulls, etc.). Just search around and find one they don't already have.

Search the video store to the right, maybe by team or player. As with all other "mini-stores," you may get multiple results for the same search since multiple stores are incorporated (making it easier to compare prices). I believe NBAStore.com has the most basketball dvd's, however.

Autographs and Other Memorabilia

Again, this kind of depends on the amount of money you can spend. But autographs are always nice (esp. an autographed jersey or basketball), but the good ones are expensive. You can also get collector items like cards or figures. The NBA store is probably one of the best places for autographed items because it's a very credible place, but you can find autographed items other places, to. Other collector items can be things like photos, plates, coins, etc.

Memorabilia doesn't have to be collector items, though. You can also get home/office items for your fan's room or apartment. Blankets, pillows, glasses, slippers, etc. Basically you can find about anything and everything that can be considered fan-gear, you just have to look!

So, hopefully this gives you some ideas for basketball gifts to get your fan this year. So far, my traffic is low enough that I can probably answer questions you may have. If you have some questions, please feel free to use the contact form and I may be able to help you with your gift ideas. (I'm a one-man show and work full-time, though, so please keep this in mind if it takes a little bit of time to get back to you.)