Getting an autograph from an NBA player is a tall order. They make a lot of money, play in big stadiums with a limited number of front row seats, and train in facilities that are usually not open to the public. That’s not to say, however, that you can’t find a willing signer around an NBA game that will adorn your items with his John Hancock. You just have to work a little harder.

Front row seats at an NBA game are the best way to get the attention of a player. They won’t pay attention to you during a game, since doing so would bring a beat down from the coaching staff, but between quarters, before the game, and after the final buzzer, front row seats are a goldmine.

"Some adults, all they want to do is put the autograph on eBay and sell it," says Amare Stoudemire, pointing out that a signature from this Rookie of the Year can go for as much as $80 a piece. "I’m not a fan of that. I just don’t like it when they make money off my autographs. I want to give out autographs for them to keep if I’m their favorite player or whatnot. Kids, they’re going to cherish the autograph and that’s going to show they have a certain amount of love in their heart. When I was a kid, I always wanted to get a professional player’s autograph, so I try to give most of my time off the court to the kids, because that’s the future." 

If you don’t have a kid brother to bring to the game, another way to meet the players is to arrive early and try to find them wandering around courtside before their pre-game warm-up. An investment in a seat located close to the court will also be helpful, because ushers aren’t likely to let someone sitting in the nosebleeds get down to the bench. Depending, however, on how early you arrive, it’s very possible to find players in a talkative mood before the crowds descend on the place 

Perhaps a better spot to find players who will sign something is to get them while they’re in college, or playing in other leagues that are found in North America like the CBA. College basketball is huge, but not so huge that you can’t find a side door to the stadium where the players will eventually come out or a local bar where the players kick back after a win.

Another option is to contact the team and ask when the players are available for autographs. Many teams have a time of day or week when they actually encourage their players to meet the fans. Sometimes these sessions are sponsored by companies that pay the players for their time, and though attendance at these events can get you a lot of autographs in one hit, it can also mean a lot of standing around and waiting for the other thousand folks in line to have their turn.

One recent change in basketball autograph hunting has been the rise to fame of high school basketball. Players like Tyson Chandler didn’t merely come to the NBA straight out of high school. They were being scouted and talked about three years before, giving you as a fan a lot of time to find that kid, tell him what a great player he is, and get him to pose for a snapshot. Then get ready for that snapshot to be worth a whole lot of money a few years down the road when he signs his first multi-million dollar Nike deal.

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