Last updated: Jun 21, 2023
Basketball towels are an essential part of the game of basketball. Although not required to play the sport, basketball towels have a few different essential uses. Keep reading for more information, including types, brands, design, and materials used in basketball towels.
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Table of Contents
- What Are Towels Used For in Basketball?
- Things to Consider
- Types
- Materials
- Brands
- Considerations
- FAQ
What Are Towels Used For in Basketball?
A basketball towel is a piece of equipment that has many purposes on and off the basketball court. Towels are very important in cleaning players and surfaces of any liquid, including sweat and water.A preliminary use of a towel in the game of basketball is to sweep any dirt or liquids that have fallen onto the actual basketball court. In addition, basketball towels can be used to wipe sweat off players when they are sitting on the sidelines.
Players can also put towels over their heads to keep themselves warm and their muscles loose. Basketball towels have a purpose in the stands with fans as well. These are called rally towels, and are often waved in the air as a form of cheering for a team. Rally towels were first introduced to sporting events back in the mid-1970s.
Things to Consider
When looking for a basketball towel, you'll want to consider the following:
- What style of towel do you want?
- What material do you want your towel to be made of?
- How much money do you have to spend on a basketball towel?
- How long will the towel you are looking at last?
- Do you want a certain color of towel?
Types
The two main types of basketball towels are rally towels and sweat towels.
Rally Towels
A rally towel is considered sports memorabilia. It is waved by fans at a basketball game as a method of cheering.Rally towels are typically small and come in a wide variety of colors. Fans will also shake these towels when players of the opposing team are shooting the ball, as an attempt to distract them.
Sweat Towels
Sweat towels have a more practical use in the game of basketball. They are used to wipe away any kind of sweat that is secreted from the players. These towels will often wipe away sweat from the eyes of athletes in order to improve vision capabilities for shooting.
Materials
The materials used to make basketball towels include cotton, cotton-poly blends, and microfiber.
- Cotton: This material is a fluffy and breathable fiber that allows a towel to be soft. Unfortunately, this material can be torn relatively easily.
- Cotton-Poly Blend: This material is a mixture of cotton and polyester. Polyester is considered to be more durable and resistant to tear compared to products made of cotton.
- Microfiber: This synthetic material has an incredibly thin diameter. In fact, its diameter is thinner than that of silk. In addition, the material is extremely durable.
Brands
The most popular brands of basketball towels are Gatorade, Sinland, Wincraft, and The Rag Company.
Gatorade
Towels from this brand are considered superior because of their association with many different levels of sport competition. These towels are often seen at high school sports games.
Sinland
This brand is very popular because of its ability to dry players from large amounts of sweat. It’s respected because of its quality materials.
Wincraft
This brand is unique because of its official partnership with the NBA. It serves as the official manufacturer of NBA on-court towels.
The Rag Company
This is another common towel used by NBA players. This brand is specifically known for its use of microfibers.
Considerations
When looking for basketball towels, some factors to consider are durability, color, cost, and size.
Durability
The durability of basketball towels depends heavily on what the towels are used for. Rally towels can last for years, since they aren’t being used to wipe the sweat off of players. The other kinds of towels need to be washed every single day in order to prevent sweat stains from occurring.
Color
Rally towels come in a wide variety of colors in order to match the spirit and logo of a particular team. These types of towels will often have a bright color tone. Towels that are used to clean the court and players are almost always a plain white color with a simple logo.
Cost
The cost of basketball towels will vary based on the customization and brand involved. More personalized towels will obviously cost more than a plain white towel. A typical sideline Gatorade towel will cost around $12. A customized towel will cost around $30. Gatorade towels will generally cost more than other towel brands.
Sizes
The most common size for the basketball bench towel is 16” X 27”. After this, the 22” X 44” basketball towel is often draped by players around their necks.The style of all basketball towels is relatively similar. When picking a towel, readers should first determine the quality of softness they want against their skin.
FAQ
What towels do NBA basketball players use?
Wincraft is the official manufacturer of on-court towels for the NBA.As a result, players are required to use these towels on the bench during games. With that being said, professional players will use many towels from different brands during practices. These alternate towels include ones manufactured by Gatorade and Sinland.
What are the kinds of basketball towels?
The main kinds of basketball towels are sweat towels and rally towels.Sweat towels are used mainly by coaches and players during practices and games. These towels have a functional purpose. In some scenarios, the towels will be used to clean marks on the basketball court as well. Rally towels are often given to fans to help generate more cheering for a team.
