“We all make mistakes in life children” A life lesson about a man and his basketball.
This was Matt’s first full leather basketball & it was brilliant! He took such great care of it. He did a very good job maintaining this basketball.
He had it for 10 years and not once in all that time did he ever break any indoor only basketball rules. He was always carful, well-disciplined and safety conscious when it came to this gift he received as an anniversary present from his wife.
He kept it wrapped up and never, not once did he let it touch the outdoor surface. Not even on his walk to the indoor courts. He followed the instructions; he obeyed the rules, he respected the all leather material. Not a single bounce in 10 years.
This post contains affiliate links. This means I may earn a commission should you chose make a purchase using my link.
THIS IS WHY IT SAYS INDOOR ONLY
Indoor basketballs like the TF-1000 Legacy Basketball are made from softer materials. Genuine leather & Microfiber composite leather is thought to be the best type of basketball you can get your hands on.
Unlike an outdoor basketball which was designed to handle the rough outdoor elements like the Wilson NBA Authentic Series Outdoor Basketball an indoor basketball will experience wear a lot quicker! The leather material will tear if you allow it to be exposed to an outdoor court surface.
Indoor basketballs are designed especially for the hardwood. This is why it says indoors only.
THE DAY MY BROTHER BROKE THE BASKETBALL RULE
My brother Matt did something we were told we never should do. Something I would not have expected him to do. After a solid 10-year clean record he made a decision that would forever change the game. You could even say, he dropped the ball on this one!
This choice would not come from impulsiveness or a lack of care. No, it would spring forth from an emotion far greater than a short lapse in judgement. It came from what he described in his own words as “a desperate situation”
As a true hooper he had an outdoor basketball, an indoor/outdoor basketball and an all-indoor basketball. He was set for any hooping occasion.
But as time went on, he found himself in a pickle! He had not replaced his outdoor and indoor/outdoor basketballs fast enough. They had gotten older and lost their “lets go hooping feel”.
But Buckets had to be made this day. However, these older basketballs weren’t going to cut it.
So, he turns to his all-leather anniversary gift from 10 years prior. He gets ready to go hoop, shoes on, bags packed, socks pulled high!
Then he thinks to himself,
“Well, this indoor ball is getting a little bit older. I am desperate to shoot some hoops today! I’ll just take it outside and take it easy. I will only hoop for half an hour or so and the court I’m going to has an asphalt surface. It is closed grain and it is very smooth. It should be ok”
That was the moment he picked up his first all indoor only Spalding Fiba basketball and walks out of the house.
He did the unthinkable. Yes, he took an indoor basketball…outside!
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT
He relates how the ball just could not handle it. He had done something that was beyond his basketball’s capabilities. He bounced it on sand, on uneven asphalt and straight away he knew what he had done.
Every bounce just cut into it a little bit more. The outside of the ball was now, no longer smooth. He had allowed his ball to get ripped up, cut up and torn into.
The fibres were now exposed! It was too late. This ball has bounced.
SIX MONTHS LATER
He knew it was ruined after that one session outdoors. So instead of wasting what was left, he decided to put it to good use. He tested it out in the rain! For 6 more months he hooped with it outside in all weather conditions just to see how long it could last before it was completely useless.
He says “What I really noticed was that when it rained, because of these exposed fibres it would soak up the water. So, as you bounced the ball, it would get heavier and get heavier”
It was wear tested so well, that he even discovered how the ball would no longer grip the backboard! It would just slide off!
Some of the links included in this post are affiliate links. This means I will be credited a part of the commission of the sale you make through it for no extra cost for you. But I actually use the products mentioned here, and I honestly recommend them.
If you would like to try an indoor basketball, we suggest the TF-1000 LEGACY - COMPETITION BALL
Built for the hardwood. This basketball comes with a composite leather cover. Soft with deep channels and constructed to help you improve your grip and control of the basketball. It has an advanced moisture management design. Microfiber composite leather cover material. So don’t take this ball outdoors. It is NFHS & FIBA approved.
Heed these words: Designed for indoor play only!
WHAT TO DO NOW?
He donated this basketball to science! He had always been curious about what a basketball was made of. What it looked like from the inside. How did the air valve actually work? His biggest question and my personal favourite, ‘can you glue it back together and have one last bounce?’
Well, he did all those things.
Check it out the next article here: Burleigh Heads Basketball Courts.
Kommentare