What backboards do the NBA use?
Tempered glass backboards are considered the official material for indoor basketball competition.
All backboards used in high school, college and NBA competition are made from tempered glass. There is a reason for that. Tempered glass backboards provide much less vibration and greater rebound capability. This is essential when looking for the best performance. Tempered glass will cut out any of the drum effect and provide a consistent rebound.
Advantages of tempered glass backboards
Tempered glass backboards are made from actual glass, while acrylic is a clear plastic material. Acrylic will begin to “haze” or discolor with time because the sun and weather takes a toll on acrylic while tempered glass backboard can retain its like-new look over time and the hardness of the tempered glass surface prevents scratching.
Advantages of acrylic backboards
Acrylic, commonly known by the brand name Plexiglass, is essentially a clear plastic material. Acrylic backboards are much more forgiving when it comes to vandalism such as rock throwing, etc. Because acrylic is a softer material than tempered glass, a rock or other hard object thrown at an acrylic backboard will more than likely just bounce off with little to no damage.Due to its more vandal resistant properties,acrylic backboards are the material of choice in unsupervised parks and playgrounds.
