Basketball

About Basketball

Courts and competitions

Basketball sits under Sports alongside Gravity Games, Hockey and Soccer. Its sets combine a court or hoop with figures and a ball, and many include simple play features for shooting and defending. The line-up ran from big indoor arenas to outdoor courts and small one-on-one challenges, plus packs that let you add players to your own teams. Build the court first, then play a match against someone else: the sets worked as much as table games as they did as models.

The big arenas

NBA Ultimate Arena (3433-1) from 2003 is the largest set at 491 pieces. NBA Challenge (3432-1), released the same year, follows closely with 451. No other basketball set reaches 200 pieces. Both date from 2003, a year after the first basketball sets appeared.

Streetball and smaller match-ups

Streetball 2 vs 2 (3431-1) moves the game outdoors with 186 pieces. Ultimate Defense (3429-1) has 82, while Spin & Shoot (3430-1), one of the 2002 sets, and the NBA Jam Session Co-Pack (3440-1) both come to 71. NBA Slam Dunk (3427-1) has 55 pieces and Rapid Return (3584-1) 47. Most of the range appeared in 2003, the year the theme was at its peak.

Collecting the range

With 35 sets in three years, Basketball is a manageable goal. Complete sets with all figures and balls are the ones to look for, and each set page lists every piece so you can check. Beyond the sport itself, the larger sets supply plenty of plates and bricks that fit into stadiums or town scenes, and What can I build? tells you which of the 35 sets your own collection could recreate.

FAQ

Were the basketball sets licensed by the NBA?

Many of them were, and they carry NBA in the set name, such as NBA Ultimate Arena (3433-1).

Which year had the most basketball sets?

2003, when the largest sets such as NBA Challenge (3432-1) were released.

How many pieces does Streetball 2 vs 2 have?

Streetball 2 vs 2 (3431-1) has 186 pieces.