A basketball sleeve, like the wristband, is an accessory that basketball players wear. Made out of nylon

Nylon

Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers known generically as polyamides, first produced on February 28, 1935, by Wallace Carothers at DuPont's research facility at the DuPont Experimental Station...

 and spandex

Spandex

Spandex or elastane is a synthetic fibre known for its exceptional elasticity. It is strong, but less durable than natural Latex, its major non-synthetic competitor. It is a polyurethane-polyurea copolymer that was co-invented in 1959 by chemists C. L. Sandquist and Joseph Shivers at DuPont's...

, it extends from the biceps to the wrist. It is sometimes called a shooter sleeve or arm sleeve.

Origins

National Basketball Association

National Basketball Association

The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...

 player Allen Iverson

Allen Iverson

Allen Ezail Iverson is an American professional basketball point guard and shooting guard. He was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the number one pick in the 1996 NBA Draft. He was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in the 1996–97 season...

 began using a basketball sleeve during the 2000-01 season due to bursitis

Bursitis

Bursitis is the inflammation of one or more bursae of synovial fluid in the body. The bursae rest at the points where internal functionaries, such as muscles and tendons, slide across bone. Healthy bursae create a smooth, almost frictionless functional gliding surface making normal movement painless...

 in his right elbow. Afterward, fans wore the sleeve as a fashion statement, and by 2008, the sleeves were the most popular non-apparel items sold by the league, according to an NBA Store

NBA Store

The NBA Store is a series of officially licensed retailers which sell merchandise for the National Basketball Association . The most prominent of these stores was located in the United States on Fifth Avenue and 52nd Street, Manhattan, New York...

 spokesperson.
Other players, including Ray Allen

Ray Allen

Walter Ray Allen is an American professional basketball player who is currently playing for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association. He has played professionally for the Milwaukee Bucks, Seattle SuperSonics, and the Boston Celtics; and collegiately for the University of...

, Carmelo Anthony

Carmelo Anthony

Carmelo Kiyan Anthony , nicknamed "Melo", is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the New York Knicks in the National Basketball Association...

, Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school...

, and LeBron James

LeBron James

LeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . Nicknamed "King James", he was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school, and was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar while a...

 have worn the sleeves as well.

Iverson continued wearing his basketball sleeve long after his elbow had healed, which led Steven Kotler of Psychology Today to suggest that the sleeve may act as a placebo

Placebo

A placebo is a simulated or otherwise medically ineffectual treatment for a disease or other medical condition intended to deceive the recipient...

to prevent future injuries.