The LEGO Basketball theme was a discontinued sub-theme of the LEGO Sports line, available from 2003 to 2004, that featured an official license from the National Basketball Association (NBA). It is no longer in production, but new, related products have recently been released as part of a Nike collaboration.
Discontinued NBA Sets (2003-2004)
The original sets were designed for interactive play, featuring special minifigures with spring-loaded legs and uniquely designed hands that allowed players to shoot and pass a small basketball. These minifigures were also the first to use realistic skin tones, modeled after real NBA players.
Ultimate NBA Arena (Set number: 3433): The flagship set, featuring a full court, two team stands, an NBA logo backboard, and 10 minifigures of real players, including Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, Dirk Nowitzki, and Steve Nash.
NBA Challenge (Set number: 3432): A smaller court set that included 10 generic team-uniformed minifigures for gameplay.
Collector Minifigure Packs: Multiple small sets were released, each containing three real NBA players, allowing fans to collect their favorite stars.
Street Ball 2 vs 2 (Set number: 3431): A set focused on street basketball action, featuring four minifigures and a half-court setup.
Modern Nike x LEGO Collaboration (Current)
While a full "Sports" theme has not returned, a recent partnership between Nike and The LEGO Group has introduced new basketball-inspired products.
Nike x LEGO® Collection Basketball (5010015): An actual, regulation-size 7 basketball featuring LEGO-themed galactic graphics for indoor and outdoor play.
Nike Dunk x LEGO® Sets: Several buildable sneaker models have been released, including the Nike Dunk x LEGO® Set and the Nike Slam Dunk, available as display pieces.