If I take a shot and the defender atempts to block and touches my hand before or after is this a foul My buddy seems to think your hands are counted as apart of the ball which I find strange?

"Incidental Contact: The mere fact that contact occurs does not mean a foul has been committed. Players are allowed to contact other players when reaching for a loose ball, or when performing normal offensive and defensive movements. The hand is considered " part of the ball" when it is in contact with the ball and contact with a players hand when it is in contact with the ball is not a foul."

So, as far as the NBA is concerned, the hand is part of the ball when the ball is in the other player's hand. If the ball is not in the shooter's hand, a foul could be called. Most of the questions concerning this rule occur when the offensive player is driving the basket and attempting a slam dunk. On a jump shot, once the ball leaves the shooter's hand, the hand is no longer part of the ball and a foul could be called.