Best Basketball Gifts 2020: A Complete Guide

We’ve put together a complete list of the best basketball gifts for 2020. If you need gifts for someone in your life that loves basketball, you’re in the right place. This list suggests plenty of options you can buy them for the upcoming Christmas holiday or a forthcoming birthday.

We’ve rigorously tested all the items on the list and know they perform well. Our team includes several basketball players and we know what’s important to the basketball player in your life. If you have follow up questions about any product on the list, ask us on Twitter.

We’ve also reviewed the best basketball shoes this year and many other products not featured on this page. With that said, let’s unveil our list of the best basketball gifts for 2020.

Best Indoor Basketball: Wilson Evolution

Every basketball player needs a reliable indoor basketball. If the b-ball player in your life doesn’t have one, they probably want one.

The Wilson Evolution basketball is the best-selling indoor basketball in the United States. It’s also WearTesters’ choice for best basketball because of its cushiony feel, wide channels, consistent texture, and moisture-wicking composite cover.

Recently, the Evolution started getting produced in multiple colors to help basketballers keep track of their ball at the gym (which is harder than it should be). The Evolution is available with black, volt, red, royal blue, navy blue, or green lettering. You can also get a USA-themed version or an all black edition.

The basketball player in your life will get years of use out of this gift.

Best Basketball Shoe: Nike KD 13

Nike sponsored this slot and chose one of the shoes currently included on our Best Basketball Shoes list.

Kevin Durant’s 13th signature shoe, the KD 13, features the standout features of grippy traction and plush cushioning.

The cushion’s plushness is provided by a full length Zoom Air strobel board, which provides comfort and bounce with every step. The traction doesn’t collect much dust and grips on any court.

Like all of KD’s shoes, it’s a bit narrow. Make sure the basketball player in your life doesn’t have a super wide foot.

This is one of the best shoes of the year and it’s on sale in multiple colorways. Read full review for more details.

Best Sleeveless T-Shirt: Lululemon Metal Vent Tech Sleeveless 2.0

Basketball players need sleeveless t-shirts for freedom of arm movement. We’re always looking for the best ones.

Lululemon, which started as a brand focused on Yoga, has now expanded to make clothing for running, training, and basketball.

The Metal Vent Tech Sleeveless 2.0 is a near perfect basketball top. It features a seamless construction, impressive breathability, and is long enough to prevent showing bare midriff while putting up shots. The nylon, polyester, and elastane material mix delivers a soft, light shirt that stretches in all the right places.

The Metal Vent Tech Sleeveless 2.0 is expensive (like all Lululemon products) but the quality and durability are great.

Best Casual Hoodie: WNBA Logo Hoodie

A good hoodie that can be worn to and from the gym is a wardrobe staple for any basketball player.

The star clothing item of the NBA Bubble and the Wubble (WNBA Bubble) was the bright orange WNBA logo hoodie. NBA players and WNBA players rocked it so well that it immediately sold out.

The WNBA logo hoodie is now back in stock and ready to become a hot holiday gift. It’s a tagless cotton and polyester blend with a super soft fleece lining. It smells a little weird when you get it, but one wash fixes that. It’s a hoodie that’ll keep you warm on cold days.

The WNBA logo hoodie is available in men’s, women’s and youth sizes, has big and tall versions, and comes in multiple colorways. Rarely do we find clothing items with this many options. It will be fairly easy to find one that fits the basketball player in your life.

Best Compression Sleeve: GO Kinesiology Calf Sleeve

Leg compression sleeves have been a fashion statement on the basketball court since Michael Jordan.

If you’re going to help the basketball player in your life look cool with a compression sleeve, at least get them one that packs supportive features.

The GO Calf Sleeve includes built in Kinesiology tape to reduce pain from shin splits, achilles tendon issues, and calf muscle tightness. The sleeves fit super tight for compression purposes, so check out the size guide to ensure you buy the right one.

This is the type of fashion forward, but useful, gift that the basketball players, runners, and weightlifters on your list will appreciate.

Best Athletic Mask: UA Sportsmask

In a world with an ongoing pandemic, everybody needs a reliable mask, especially athletes.

The UA Sportsmask from Under Armour is one of the many mask options that popped up among footwear and apparel brands after the pandemic hit us full force. A new product category was created almost overnight and now we have a ton of options.

The UA Sportsmask is the most comfortable, well-built option available. It’s lightweight, but still sturdy enough to play sports in it. The mask is also comfortable around the ears, comes in various sizes to fit most faces, and offers 6 different colors.

High quality, high durability masks that work for sports are tough to find. We’ve looked since the pandemic began and this one is by far the best we’ve tried.

Best Sneaker Community: WearTesters Membership

If your basketball player loves WearTesters, we’ve created a place he or she will feel at home.

The WearTesters Discord community was started in mid-2019 to create a place where WearTesters’ fans could have direct access to the entire review team via various chat channels and DMs.

In the ensuing year and a half, the community has grown immensely and is now a troll free section of the internet where we geek out about shoes.

In addition, members get exclusive access to WearTesters events, monthly voice chat sessions, and special projects (like the NW1). Gold members get the added benefit of deadstock shoe giveaways every month.

You can gift someone a 1 year subscription at the Blue or Gold level.

Best Basketball Book: Kobe Bryant's Sneaker History

In general, reading is good. Books about basketball and shoes make reading even better.

Pat Benson is a freelance sports writer currently covering the NBA and the Atlanta Hawks. He’s written for the Los Angeles Times, Forbes, and various other publications.

Pat was an avid fan of both Kobe and his shoe line. After Kobe’s tragic passing, he sat down to document all the shoes Kobe wore during his storied career and wrote Kobe Bryant’s Sneaker History.

To write the book, Pat leaned on experts like our own Chris Chase. He worked hard to make sure he got all the details right. What resulted is a book dripping with nostalgia that both basketball players and sneaker lovers won’t be able to put down.

Best Slides: iSlide NBA Pack

After a basketball player is done playing for the day, there’s nothing better than slipping his or her feet into a nice pair of slides.

Slides are a staple of post game recovery clothing for any basketball player. And iSlide has all the options.

NBA, NCAA, MLB, and various player-themed slides are all available. iSlide also has a customization option if you want to make something special for the basketball player in your life.

Each pair comes with an EVA midsole, a no slip massaging footbed, and a herringbone accented outsole. They feel great on feet after a couple hours playing ball.

Best Basketball Socks: Strideline

Every basketball player needs reliable socks.

Strideline Socks are currently WearTesters’ favorite basketball socks.

They don’t slip, have padding in all the right places, and are just the right combo of thick and thin. You’ll also pay less than half of what you’d pay for socks from big sportswear brands. Check out the 3 and 8 packs for the best savings.

Still need to be convinced? Read or watch our full review.

Best Athletic Hoodie: Hylete Flexion Hoodie

As we said above, hoodies are essential. Having one you can wear while playing outdoors is clutch.

The Hylete Flexion Hoodie is made of a polyester and spandex mix that’s perfect for outdoor basketball or training when the weather gets colder.

The Flexion Hoodie also has a modern style that elicits “ninja” comments from other players. It just looks cool.

It’s got two front pockets, good breathability, and thumb holes built into the sleeves. It’s functionally built for any sport and looks good too. And while the Flexion Hoodie is on the expensive side, it’s built solidly and should last a long time.

Best Tracksuit: Nike NSW Club Fleece

Matching tracksuits are in and the perfect streetwear look for wearing to and from the basketball court.

While not everyone can pull it off, tracksuits are a fashion statement. Matching the sweatshirt and sweatpants gets people’s attention. And since tracksuits are super comfortable, it’s a win-win for your drip.

Nike’s Club Fleece line is comfortable, fashionable, and available in a bunch of colors at Jimmy Jazz. Even NBA players have been rocking various colors for their pregame tunnel fits.

This is the kind of straightforward, functional, and attention getting outfit that most basketball players will love.

Best Stretchy Jeans: Barbell Apparel Jeans

Every basketball player has off court needs too. One of those needs is a great pair of jeans

Nowadays, there are a lot of stretchy jeans. Which is great for basketball players and their typically large quads and calves. Of all the stretchy jeans, Barbell Apparel’s flexible denim is the best.

Barbell Apparel jeans look like high end denim but include polyester and spandex in their material mix to provide just the right amount of stretch for athletic legs. Their ads regularly show people doing squats in them.

Barbell Apparel jeans are available in multiple washes for both men and women. These jeans will easily become a go to pair for the basketball player in your life.

Best Foam Roller: TriggerPoint GRID Foam Roller

Every basketball player needs a foam roller in their recovery toolbox to release muscle pain and tightness.

Foam rollers are now ubiquitous at gyms around the world. The key to buying a foam roller is finding one that’s durable enough to last for years.

The TriggerPoint GRID Foam Roller is the most durable foam roller you’ll find. The GRID has a multi-density EVA foam layered on top of a rigid, hollow TPU core. The hollow core makes it perfect for travel as you can stuff clothes inside it when you place it in your suitcase.

The GRID foam roller is also half the size of a typical foam roller which comes in handy for both travel and storage. It’s got the best foam roller form factor and will last a long time, exactly what the basketball player in your life needs.

Other Gift Guides

Need more gift ideas? Check out our other gift guides: