General Considerations in Basketball: Court Type, Shoes, and Protective Gear

Abstract

Since Dr. James Naismith invented the game of basketball in 1892, many aspects of the game have changed, but some things have withstood the test of time. The court flooring, maple hardwood, is one of those sustaining features. Though other kinds of wood and materials were tried, for reasons of cost, aesthetics, or technological advances, the maple hardwood is still the court of choice for multiple reasons. New basketball shoes are forever emerging, with different collar heights, weight, cushioning, stiffness, and traction, and there is little evidence that any one aspect is superior to the others with regard to injury prevention. Increased outsole traction has been found to improve performance, however. Bracing and compression garments have also had different times in the spotlight. While more studies need to be done on these, particularly with the compression garments, only ankle braces have been found to be useful prophylactically in female athletes. While mouthguards have been available since basketball’s invention and have shown proven benefit, few athletes utilize them for dental injury prevention.