Basketballs which are used in competition are a standard size of 29.5 inches. Traditionally they were made from leather and are inflated with an inner bladder. It is more common now to use balls which are manufactured from either rubber or a similar synthetic composite. Rubber or composite balls will always feature a textured surface of pebbles. These, along with a slightly tacky surface, will help with grip to improve play.
The surface on which you are using the ball will play a vital role in deciding which material is best for your purpose. As an outside surface will almost certainly be a lot more rough and abrasive, you should use a ball with a strong and durable rubber or composite surface. This will ensure its longevity. If you were to use a leather ball on an outdoor surface then it will not have a very long life expectancy. Indoor balls are often made of leather and are often more expensive. Therefore they should not be used on a tarmac or asphalt surface.
When James Naismith first invented basketball in 1891, he was obviously very limited in the availability of equipment. Instead of the baskets and hoops that we are now so familiar with, he used a peach basket. It was not long before this peach basket became a little annoying, as someone had to climb up and retrieve the ball each time someone scored. The bottom of the basket soon came out so save people the struggle. The only ball that Naismith had available was a soccer ball. This sufficed for quite some time and was, in the end, replaced with purpose built leather basketballs. These were constructed from stitched panels around a rubber bladder which was inflated. The leather was lined with cloth for support. In 1941 a moulded basketball became available. These gained in popularity and many leagues now accept these as their ball of choice.
The first basketball which was produced for official games was the Spalding ball. The company manufactured the first purpose made basketballs in the late 1800s under the guidance of James Naismith. So successful were Spalding that they are still manufacturing balls for official games now.
As the years have gone by, basketball has remained as one of America's favorite sports. It has the advantage of being a game that requires very little in the way of equipment and it is common to see old and young alike playing with a ball in the yard or driveway. It is easy to fix a hoop onto the side of the house and many hours can be spent, either alone or with just a couple of friends, playing ball. It is estimated that Americans own around 300 million basketballs. If you imagine how that would look if they were all together, it would be quite an awesome sight. James Naismith certainly came up with a great idea.
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