Why are NBA basketballs orange? Unraveling fascinating reason behind color choice

NBA basketballs have always been orange since the late 1950s and have not changed color until now. Like most things, the league's choice of color for their basketballs has a reason and it isn't just because it looks good. The reason is solely for visibility.

According to basketball historians, balls were initially brown. At that time, Butler University basketball coach Tony Hinkle complained that fans and players couldn't see the ball well during games. This prompted Hinkle to start a new trend in the kind of color basketballs are supposed to be.

He teamed up with Spalding to develop a basketball that wouldn't be blurred while bouncing. The coach selected the color orange, which is still the color of basketball for most professional leagues around the globe.

Orange basketballs made their debut during a college game, a special one, that is. During the 1958 NCAA Finals in Louisville, Kentucky, orange basketballs started to take over the game of basketball. Today, most people can easily recognize the ball even on TV, which is a medium used by the majority of viewers of the sport.

The ABA (American Basketball Association), didn't recognize this practice until they merged with the NBA in 1976. They used red-white-blue basketballs during their time, which is still present to this day and can be seen during special events in the NBA, like the Three-Point Contest during All-Star Weekends as their money ball.

The WNBA's regulation of basketball is slightly different from that of the NBA's. Since their launch in 1996, they have orange and oatmeal paint on their basketballs. The former NBA Commissioner talked about why the WNBA had a different style to the NBA basketball.

""The last thing the world needed was another orange basketball," the late David Stern said.

You might also be interested in reading this: Who is Magic Johnson's son Andre Johnson? Looking at Lakers legend's heir joining $1 billion enterprise as Executive VP

---

Mitchell Robinson sees the NBA basketball as brown

Contrary to the widespread association of NBA basketball with the color orange, New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson believes that the color is better described as brown. For him, the color of the basketball isn't just determined by its natural hue; rather, it's influenced by a factor often overlooked – hygiene.

""It’s got dirt and bacteria. People here don’t wash their hands." Robinson said. "There’s a few people in this league that wash their hands. A few of them. But I can. I do. I wash my hands."

Robinson's view of the color of NBA basketball is one of a kind. His cleanliness has helped him become a factor for the team this season. The Knicks center is averaging 6.2 points and 11.2 rebounds.