Basketball matches are pretty complex and diverse. There are many different events that can shape the outcome of a match and unexpected things can happen. The ball goes out of the bound quite frequently and keeping the ball is one of the main questions that interests a lot of spectators.

Can you keep an NBA ball? Considering the NBA conduct code, fans are now allowed to keep an NBA ball when it goes out of bounds. Both the players and referees will wait until the ball is returned and then they will continue with a match. This is strictly regulated by the NBA and officials.

There are some exceptions when we talk about players. While fans are not allowed to take the ball with them, there were instances where players took the ball. We will have a further look at this topic in our article.

Can fans keep the ball?

While we were mainly talking about the players, another important part of the NBA game is the crowd. Quite often, the ball ends up in the hands of the spectators, but they are not allowed to keep the ball with them. The NBA has a special code of conduct, which needs to be followed thoroughly by fans. If the ball is out of bounds, it needs to be returned immediately. If a viewer rejects to return the ball he or she will be immediately ejected from the court and charged with misconduct. The ejection could turn out to be a lifetime even. The NBA strictly follows the guidelines so any action aimed towards disrupting the overall situation will not be tolerated.

The ball is deemed as a property of the NBA. Whenever a fan desires to take possession of the league, it is considered theft, and appropriate actions will be taken. Of course, the referees can replace the old ball with a new one but overall, such action is not tolerable.

Have there been exceptions?

Of course, when we talk about rules and strict regulations that exist in the NBA, there are always numerous exceptions that need to be taken into consideration. First of all, if a spectator manages to hide the ball successfully, the security will be unable to return the ball back in the game. Although, such things are very rare and even spectators do not go for such an action. Once in a while, spectators might get away with going with the ball from the court, but overall, security guards are always alert to check the spectators before they leave.

Who is responsible for the balls?

The NBA teams got 72 balls at the beginning of the season. The responsible persons for bringing the ball back during the game are staff, as well as the security. Sometimes NBA mop boys are given the role of bringing the balls back from the stands. This is something that does not have a single direction.

The announcers are also cautious when it comes to balls. They politely ask fans not to touch the ball when it goes out of bounds and for the most part every spectator obeys the following rules.

Who is the official provider of balls in the NBA?

T the NBA’s contract with Spalding expired back in 2020 and the league will switch to official basketballs from manufacturer Wilson from the 2021-22 season. Wilson will also serve as the official playball for the WNBA, G-League, NBA 2K League and Basketball Africa League. The decision to part ways was mutual between the NBA and Spalding.

Spalding was always a prominent provider of balls and equipment for NBA teams but such an action is aimed at more diversity.

With the use of synthetic materials, the colour scheme has also become completely disordered: on the streets, you can find a wide variety of balls, from black and orange to the colours of any club.

Only the professional leagues remain true to the orange/brown tradition and dare to make minimal assumptions: for example, in the Euroleague the ball is brown and black, and in the women‘s NBA it is brown and white.