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How to Draw a Basketball (Easy Step-by-Step for Kids)

To draw a basketball, start with a big circle. Draw one straight line across the middle and one from top to bottom. Finish with a curved line on each side and color the ball orange.

Finished cartoon basketball, orange with black lines: one across, one down the middle and a curved line on each side
The finished basketball
Steps
6 easy steps
You need
  • Pencil
  • Eraser
  • Black marker
  • Orange crayon

Updated

Teaching this to a class?

Show one step at a time on the board and wait for the class before the next. The directed drawing for kids page explains how to run it.

How to draw a basketball step by step

  1. A big circle

    Step 1 of 6: Draw a big circle.

  2. One straight line across the middle of the circle from left to right

    Step 2 of 6: Add one straight line across the middle, from the left edge to the right edge.

  3. One straight line down the middle of the circle from top to bottom, crossing the first line

    Step 3 of 6: Draw one straight line down the middle, from top to bottom, crossing the first line.

  4. A curved line on the left side, bending in toward the middle

    Step 4 of 6: Add a curved line on the left side that bends in toward the middle.

  5. A matching curved line on the right side, bending in toward the middle

    Step 5 of 6: Draw a matching curved line on the right side that bends in toward the middle.

  6. The basketball colored orange, with all the black lines showing

    Step 6 of 6: Color the whole ball orange. Keep the black lines dark so they show.

Tips for little artists

  • Tip: Press lightly with the pencil first. Trace the lines you like with the marker, then erase the rest.

  • Tip: Use a ruler for the two straight lines if your lines wobble.

  • Tip: Start and end each curved line on the circle edge, about the same distance from the top and bottom.

Make it yours

  • Ball in a hoop

    Draw a red hoop with a net under the ball, as if it is going in.

  • Bouncing ball

    Add three short curved lines under the ball to show it bounce.

  • Ball with a face

    Give the ball two eyes and a smile in one of the middle sections.

Common mistakes and easy fixes

  • The curved lines bend the wrong way

    Bend each side line in toward the middle, so the middle of each curve is closest to the center.

  • The lines miss the edge

    Start and end every line right on the circle, with no gaps.

  • The ball looks flat

    Bend each side curve about two thirds of the way in toward the middle line.

Fun facts about the basketball

  • James Naismith invented basketball in 1891. He was a physical education teacher at a YMCA training school in Springfield, Massachusetts. (Source: Britannica)

  • For the first game, on December 21, 1891, Naismith used two half-bushel peach baskets as goals. They gave the sport its name. (Source: Britannica)

  • A soccer ball was used for the first two years. The first basketball was marketed in 1894. (Source: Britannica)

Questions grown-ups ask

How to draw a basketball easy?

Draw a circle, then one straight line across and one down the middle. Add a curved line on each side and color the ball orange.

How to draw a basketball step by step?

Draw the circle first, then the line across, the line down, the left curve and the right curve. Color the ball orange last.

How to draw a basketball for kids?

Use a ruler for the two straight lines if needed, and draw the two side curves bending toward the middle. Keep the black lines dark when you color.

If your lines came out a little wobbly, that's fine. Your basketball is ready to bounce. More easy drawings for kids are on the home page.

Step 1 of 6

A big circle
Draw a big circle.