Team spirit and healing: The psychosocial role of basketball in cancer emotional rehabilitation

Cancer survivorship often involves persistent psychological distress, fatigue, and social withdrawal. While exercise improves physical outcomes, the psychosocial potential of team-based sports has received little empirical attention in oncology rehabilitation. This narrative review synthesises interdisciplinary evidence to examine how basketball, as a cooperative and rhythmic team sport, fosters emotional resilience, self-efficacy, and social reintegration among cancer survivors. A structured narrative review was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, and PsycINFO (1990–May 2025). Studies exploring sport participation, physical activity, and psychosocial outcomes in cancer or comparable populations were included. Evidence was inductively coded and deductively mapped using Self-Determination Theory, Social Support Theory, and the Biopsychosocial Model. Across multidisciplinary studies, participation in sport-based or group exercise programs consistently improved quality of life, mood regulation, and self-efficacy. Basketball, in particular, enhanced team cohesion, embodied cooperation, and emotional control through shared rhythm and goal-oriented play. Mechanistic pathways included fulfilment of autonomy–competence–relatedness needs, re-establishment of social identity, and reinforcement of cognitive–emotional regulation. Basketball represents a holistic psychosocial intervention merging physical exertion with emotional expression and collective belonging. Integrating structured basketball modules into survivorship care could transform psycho-oncological practice from passive therapy to participatory healing. Future mixed-method and longitudinal research should validate these mechanisms and optimise program implementation for diverse survivor populations.