Basketball Holiday Gift Ideas

I just realized by the calendar, Christmas is 3 weeks away. For some the holidays are already here and shopping time is limited. Here’s some great gift ideas for basketball/NBA fanatics..


1. Spaulding’s new ball – Keep in mind it’s downright expensive. I don’t think a basketball should cost more than $30 tops. But for some reason Spalding is selling the “official” ball for $99. It’s good to get for anyone in your family or friends who is aspiring to be in the NBA, because this might be the ball they use for years to come. Still $99 is steep. No wonder refs have been told to up the number of techs/fines they hand out  Check it out at Amazon.


2. Adidas NBA team sneakers – These things are pretty sweet. A friend of mine works in a sports store and said they go for about $100-120. You could get your favorite team, or collect a bunch to color-coordinate with your outfits..The best looking pair in my opinion are the Heat. Twolves and Grizzlies also cool with the large side logos. Get them at www.adidas.com on December 8.



3. Basketball apparel, memorabilia, etc – The NBA fan will always welcome jerseys, shirts, caps, headbands, autographed items or any other memorabilia as a gift. NBA.com has a nice selection and you can also find some different stuff at www.footballfanatics.com
I would definitely recommend if you're in the New York area, or visiting it, to check out the NBA store in the city. Very cool place, and no shipping! Plus you just might see an NBA player stop by.


4. Game improving items– Eastbay sells some cool items that help ballers improve their games. Everything from parachutes you can use for running drills to the JUMP kit to improve your vertical leap. Aspiring ballers would love those sorts of things to make their game better.


5. Game tickets – I’d put this at the top of my personal list. Nothing beats seeing an NBA game live in person. You never know what record will be broken or what highlight play a great player might make. Tickets would make your NBA fan very, very happy for the holidays. Ticketmaster or Ebay are my recommendations for these items. Ticket brokers are always much, much more expensive.


Honorable mentions: Basketball themed DVD’s on teams, players and the game itself. My personal favorites are the Dunks series with DJ Clue and the Michael Jordan dvd’s (Jordan to the MAX is one of the best).

The NBA League pass package. It goes for $200 and I’m not sure why. Probably to cover costs of various teams/broadcasts etc. But if you were going to spend $200 why not see a live game with great seats or a few games with mediocre seats. It’s a toss-up.

(Disclaimer: I do not work for the NBA or any of the above mentioned sites, just providing my personal gift ideas for other fans).