Plastic basketballs are mainly used for advertising during basketball games, showing support for a particular team, as fun invitation to parties and get together, or as souvenirs. Plastic basketballs are very inexpensive, usually costing around $1-$3. Many websites and stores retailing plastic basketballs also customize or imprint them. The term plastic basketball is inclusive of both plastic and vinyl basketballs.

Vinyl basketballs are softer than plastic or acrylic basketballs. They are lobbed into crowds of spectators at basketball matches for advertising purposes, or to display support for a team. The promotional balls have a company or product logo imprinted on them while the basketballs showing team support have the team logo and a slogan showing backing for the team. Vinyl basketballs can be re-inflated, unlike plastic balls, and they are softer.

Extra-Mile.com retails the best plastic basketballs. It sells both plastic and vinyl basketballs with custom logos or slogans. A 3