The NBA's New Balls Have a Huge Problem… 

My biggest concern is why change something that’s not broken?

The sweat point is the most interesting to me. A sealed ball can be wiped dry pretty easily, but the holes in the new design could trap sweat that won't be easy to wipe off.

About the colouring of the balls, having them have patterns on them and logos that match the home team of each arena would be cool, but as I wrote this, I realized it may be hard to see the ball on said players' jerseys when they hold it in their hands. Trick plays would be common, but home themed balls would be pretty snazzy

I also wonder if we could use this technology for the interior of the ball instead of pressurized air. I.e. make a slightly smaller version with no grooves and cover it with normal basketball leather (with perhaps some small holes to allow air flow)

I think testing the ball in a preseason or nba all-star game would be the best way to see how it feels in a game setting

I’m not involved in this project, but I have a decade of experience with 3-D printing. I think the concerns that are listed in this video can be resolved with a few design iterations. Regarding the aerodynamics and wind impacts it may be slightly impacted, but it could also be mitigated with the size/shape of the holes. It may be that a more intricate layer is printed on the inside edge, like a mesh, which would allow it move more like a solid, and mitigate the risk of a pebble getting caught inside. It would basically act like a strainer, only small particles could get in, and the larger outside holes would reduce the risk of them getting stuck.

It's $2500. No need to worry about any of this.

About the airflow thing, I think it will actually increase air resistance. Air resistance is based on the surface area of the traveling object exposed to airflow, and adding holes could expose the inside of a ball as well. This is why the terminal velocity of a whiffle ball is so low, the holes increase the surface area so air resistance is higher.

It’s extremely bizarre to me why they don’t just add an outer skin to it - this would fix the aero problems, pebble problems, and make it feel like a regular basketball. Just make the inside of the ball the 3D print then the outside the same as whatever a normal basketball is stretched around it.

Although the bounce might be the same, I'm curious what happens to it under more extreme stress. For example, someone accidentally steps/falls on it. A typical basketball ball when compressed bounces back because the air inside, but the new ball would rely purely on the integrity of the material (but maybe it is safer because it can deform? Protect athletes better?). Also, as far as I am aware, the air flow through the ball on a windy day wouldn't help reduce drift, it would be all about the amount of surface area that the wind could interact with, and it looks like it has a lot.

I'm impressed at how much work is being put in to solving problems that no-one had. Great way to charge people more to play the game, though.

talking of "less influence by the wind because it can go thorough the holes", it will probably be the opposite, the holes generate more drag because of the vortex created by the wind going through the holes, it could also affect the force needed for very long shots. As a comparison in cfd, computed fluid dynamics, car radiators are modeled like walls because of the complexity of calculating that shape, interestingly the radiators (air goes through) make more resistance than the walls, because of the vortex.

I wonder what they have tested for stress on the ball. Like what if a player falls onto it, would it be durable enough to withstand the weight of an nba player or would it crack? So many interesting variables but its cool to see sports trying new things.

Debri getting stuck inside it was my first thought seeing the ball. The holes also don't make it "more aerodynamic" in the sense wind won't affect its flight. Air can pass through it, but it will also be hitting the inside surface area of the ball, causing pretty abnormal drag like a wiffle ball and heavily influencing the ball's spin.

As a brazilian, who knows very little about the NBA and basketball in general, even though I like to play sometimes with friends, y'all may have a Jabulani situation in your hands. Jabulani was an infamous soccer ball, it was used in the 2010 World Cup, it was designed by adidas like every world cup ball since the 1950's, but in 2010 they decided to innovate by making a hyper light, smaller ball with way less panels (the hexagons on a soccer ball), iirc was like 8 panels or something like that. On paper it was like a perfect soccer ball that did everything like a normal ball should but way more aerodynamic and fast for more excitement during games, Adidas ended up doing a ball that bounced on air, like there was a goal from half of the pitch that when the ball was to hit the ground it kind of double jumped and ended up in the net, goalkeepers hated and severely hampered the quality of the football at display on that world cup, even though it is on of the best WCs for the atmosphere and the Jabulani and its wackiness. I hope this ball doesn't end up like a Jabulani because it really looks really cool though.

the importance of having air in it is that you can inflate the ball differently depending on the ground you are playing. Wooden planks vs asphalt make a huge difference in bounciness.

Im worried about the grip strength and the ball being too hard in touch

Remember when the NBA tried to move from leather skins to something more akin to plastic? There were a lot of complaints, not just over preferences of texture, but that extended use would cause real injuries on professional players' hands. A hard textured plastic/3D laser-printed ball might yield the same complaints.

I don't play basketball, but I did have some fun with my friends a few times. My main issue with this would probably be weight, a regular ball has more weight in it and is pretty balanced. If this ball is lighter than a standard ball... it would definitely mess the rhythm a player has (like say you play COD then play CS:GO, still the same... but it takes a moment to readjust) and another thing is... since it's hexagonal the surface area doesn't become balanced like a normal ball would.

I remember how big a deal it was when the balls came out with a built-in pump. I bought one the first time I saw it. I loved it. It's always amazing to see the shockwaves it creates when something new comes out.

The thing is: they have a large team of designers behind this so I think most of these concerns are already taken into account and it's why they haven't officially realeased it yet.

The biggest issue for most people will probably be materials degradation, especially from UV if it's outdoors a lot. That wouldn't matter to the NBA who probably go through hundreds of balls regularly, but for someone who would keep each ball for years - that longevity concern would be a bigger issue.

1:57 you would be very surprised. And really it doesn't matter if they change what ball is used, the players will just have to get good if a new ball is used.

They could theoretically add little bumps along the outside edges of the holes to replicate the grippiness of a regular basketball. That could add a little bit more grip to it but I'm not sure if it'll add more weight.

I think this will play out the same way airless tires play out. They are just more expensive and don't perform the same. Any advantage of not having air is outweighed by the flaws because air is just the best material to use for these applications.

I never was a big basketball fan, but i did a 9 month stint in juvie when i was 17, had my 18th birthday there. I played basketball every single day for hours then, and i really enjoy the sport, its super fun. It will be interesting to see how this ball if it is adopted makes any impact or if its just going to be the same. The bouncy sound of the current basketball is iconic, and not having that sound is going to be really odd.

Who cares how it plays outside? It’s not like normal basketballs will be banned. Just get a normal one then lol

its like why to fix something that is not broken

Never thought of the rock thing but where I play it’d def be an issue where I play right now.

I have this softball size drone in a ball. One of those toys from kiosks at the mall. It has propellers inside a vented hollow framed sphere almost same as the ball the video is talking about. When you throw it up in the air like you would with a regular baseball or try juggling it, it does some weird shifting direction due to air passing through those openings as it goes up and down. I bring that up because it seems like that would be an issue for this ball if a play for desperation longe range final seconds shot were to happen.

There's obviously so many questions, grip, durability, and so many other factors to take into consideration. One of the biggest issues that i see is that it's different and resembles other toys. I think that's going to be a hard sell. It's going to take a lot more than being almost as good as a "regular" game ball to get outside that toy image for most people and that means this wont be taken seriously without some major work to get it out of that image.

"Hey guys! Let's reinvent the wheel. I think it should be shaped like a square..." Technology has come so far, but at this point, we're using it to solve problems that don't exist.

the video starts at 3:20

another issue i could think of: will it bounce the same at all plausible temperatures? winter around 0°C (32F) outside and summer at around 40°C (104F)? (not considering hotter since it's unlikely you want to be playing over 40°C)

My guess is that the holes will act like a golf ball and will break the boundary laminar air flow, taking away much of the magnus effect as well as negate crosswinds to some extent.

Will be interesting to see how the elasticity of the material degrades over time. A deflated ball can be inflated, but an airless one will need to be replaced

it's probably gonna feel really weird to play with, but if it bounces and weighs the same as an nba ball i think it could be really cool. Especially since 3D printing tech gets better and better each year and a ball like this could probably end up being very cheap on a mass produced level. At least half of the 200 dollar official ball today. I also think the holes all over the surface could actually be beneficial to creating proper backspin on jump shots. With a regular ball, you get the best spin when your fingers are lined up on the ball's grooves. For someone with smaller hands, like me, it can be hard to achieve consistent spin on my shots without taking time to put my finger tip in a groove. A ball with holes all over the ball means that you finger tips are likely to be able to generate spin regardless of where they are on the ball. I think this could make it feel really comfortable and natural as a part of the shooting motion. The wind and rocks concerns are definitely valid, but i think the weight of the ball should mitigate most of the wind issues from turning it into a wiffle ball. If they could add some sort of mesh to the ball, or make the holes smaller then i think the rock issue could be solved as well. For me, the biggest issue would be the durability. How long can it hold up and still act like a normal basketball before the material starts to wear out?

1:34 Tried different printing methods and only way it works is with a not typical at home printer? You mean a selective method to print it so they can artificially inflate the price

If I had to guess, the holes are designed to create air bubbles not unlike what's created in the back of a pickup truck that when thrown, especially at high speeds, it will behave as though it doesn't have any holes.

My school's court used to be covered with indoor-outdoor carpet. Everybody hated it - including us. Others hated it because they had a harder time dribbling, mostly because the bounce sound was muffled, even then the dribble off indoor-outdoor carpet was several times louder than the airless ball. We hated it because wood courts were like glass for us - even though I put out tacky matts.

something they need to consider is how its going to look in game, if you could see it clearly from everywhere in the stadium or for official reviews

The holes would affect shooting as the ball would interact differently with the fingers, and thats crucial. Especially upon releasing the ball. You don't just bounce and shoot it either. You rebound, catch fast passes, etc, and there's no guarantee that you'll palm the ball perfectly so I can see some chipped nails too, possibly scratches on the fingers.

I think would probably fly better through the air but may not fly like you expect. I more question if this thing would be comfortable to play with for a long period of time. The whiffle design might give it more grip, but it might also increase blisters.

The biggest thing I can think of would be the effects of ambient temperature. Will playing in a warmer environment result in a higher bounce due to increased flexibility vs seeming “flat” in colder temperatures that could cause the material used to act more stiff?

My main issue with this is accessibility. This ball *will* feel different compared to a regular ball, maybe not by much, but it would need some getting used to. And if they decide to use this ball for most professional play, then players who don't have access to it will have to get used to playing with a different feeling ball *while* they're on the court.

im decently sure the ball is specifically made for inside areas, where basically none of the mentioned is an issue so only the extra benifits remain. Not sure how they could do anything proper with an outside one.

Sunlight can penetrate the ball that can affect your shot. Some fan can get a laser pointer and aim it at the ball to affect the player's shot.

3:10 : so, this is that feeling that people feel, when they see themselves on tv, without expecting it… 😂😂😂 Great vid!

I honestly didn't know basketballs got upgraded, I always just thought they looked the way they did due to aging/weathering. Although, I do have 3 balls, one from 90s, 00s, and 2021. I also didn't realize how expensive they were.

1:46 SLS printing is Resin type printing, basically uses UV to solidify resin

I think the whole point of this is to research how far you can push 3D print and if it will be acceptable or on par with the performance of the things we have already, even if won't be accepted today, but it is still a big step in the development, someone already did a tire that is airless for their bicycle, I won't be surprised if someone pushes it even more to make 3d airless tires for cars

If the balls are usable in other sports really depends on the kind of sport. For european football it will likely not be usable, because the balls are supposed to have some squeeze. I would assume it would make a lot of sense for tennis on sturdy underground. The biggest advantage I see of such a ball is that the NBA could adjust the properties of it. Like they may want it to be a bit heavier or lighterin the future. Or maybe bounce a bit more or a bit less. Things that are much easier to acheive with this approach

I bet they will sell The ball with the holes in it for novelty at first but then they'll apply the same technology to a more traditional basketball and what I mean by that is the ball you see will be the bladder of the basketball and they'll still cover it in a leather so that grip still feels the same but never needs to be pumped that's just my opinion

Give it to the WNBA.

Cutting air takes extra force so it needs to weighted more to adjust. Micro holes would be better those look to big like a gimick type thing.

4:08 A boomerang doesn't curve because of the magnus effect. A traditional boomerang turns because it acts like a wing, creating an area of high pressure air on one side and low pressure on the other. The magnus effect is caused by the difference in relative air speed encountering each side of a spinning object. It's not really the same. Or if it is the same, then it's also the same as blowing out a candle because it vaguely involves differences in air pressure.

2:37 no wonder these balls are so weird

Anybody playing outside with a 2,500 dollar ball is insane.

4:13 - Magnus Effect does not make a boomerang return. It is a combination of lift from the airfoils and gyroscopic procession.

I think this is the answer to a problem no one asked for. I understand the need to explore new technology but there is nothing wrong with the current balls used. If they are looking to try it out under real game conditions then what about the G-League. It's relatively low-pressure but has similar gameplay conditions to the NBA.

Going by formlabs powder pricing it should cost $60-70 per ball for the nylon powder used (maybe half that for wilson?). The price of the printer should be about $1 per ball over 5 years which sounds surprisingly low but I tripple checked the math. Add to that skilled labor and marketing and r&d and profits, and $200+ per ball sounds about right. Maybe in the low 100s in a few years

You can keep rocks out by putting a bladder inside. You hold the bladder in place with air pressure! 😂

I wonder if they could just put thin membrane where holes are and if it will solve many of the concerns

I’m mostly concerned about the grip. Is it more slippery than a normal ball? I have a hard time palming a basketball as it is.

My concern with the new tech is how will it hold up to pressure on it. While basketballs aren’t designed for sitting/falling onto, will they be able to support the weight of someone on it without the support of the air pressure. Oh, and how will these work for playing pool basketball or near a body of water?

2:18 "Dye these balls" 💀. I guess my humor is broken

7:00 counter point to the adaptation to tennis, the ball would have to survive max speeds of 145 mph, more consistent impacts with the racket and ground, and be consistent with the bounce. It might be harder than baseball to adapt that technology, but if it was possible it would save a lot of time and money for the end consumer instead of buying a new can of balls every week due to pressure retention. Curious how it works out for basketball 🏀

This channel is so underrated 🚀

Bro the clip you used at 2:33 is literally the park next to my house 💀

the spinning of the ball will cause an affect where the ball is basically air tight as in it will spin to quick to let air pass though

The tech aspect and gimmick alone is pretty sweet minus the cost. I want one that glows in the dark and under blacklight...y'all can imaigne how much fun that could be. Especially a blacklight court...

They tried this is Football (Soccer) an they scrapped it because Knuckle balls or as u said the Magnus Effect it wouldn’t make the ball Spin as Much the air would pass through an wouldn’t curve as much.

sounds to me like it could be used more skillfully to curl throw, which I think is awesome personally raising the skill/possibilities of the game is great for player challenge and for spectators.

What I don’t understand is why everyone is calling it the NBA’s new ball when they have no plans to use it for games. Oh wait… clickbait, of course.

welp, i want to throw some piece of my mind here -First thing, theres nothing wrong with the ordinary ball and why change something that doesn;t broke? well, the ordinary ball have many issue. Not only there's a regulation on how much psi when pumping the basket ball, there's certain preference on player itself on what state of the ball they comfortable with. Thus making them test the basket balls to the player before the game start, so the players can choose what basket balls they want to play with. -Sweat will trap inside the honey comb holes and wont be easily wipe off. when the player do a dribble to the basket ball, the sweat water molecules will broken on impact. Thus none of it will make the basket ball slippery -Small pebble will stuck inside the balls and make uncomfortable feeling when using it. this design mostly used indoor, where tournament were held indoors with good field surface. -Airflow thingy, the ball will increase it air resistance. Don't you watch the video? they design it to have similar airflow as ordinary basket balls. Not only on how it reacted when played, they design it as close to ordinary basket balls so the players had familiar and comfortable feeling when playing with it yes there still flaw with the design, but in the end they will analyze it and improved the design

There’s no way you could do a ball like this for soccer, tennis, or baseball. The magnus effect is super important for all these sports.

The aerodynamics will be very different, maybe you could compensate by changing the shape and using it outside would reduce its lifespan probably quicker than in a regular ball. That is my opinion.

Why not it can be split in half, which we could connect, and have a leather or cloth inside of it to avoid substance intrusion instead of just holes🤔

I bet they could make a sealed version that's still airless, giving it a more normal grip and avoiding internal contaminants. Just need to account for the extra wait of the surface covering.

Good points. The concept itself is cool that you don't need to pump the ball up again. But if it costs that much and indeed small parts might get into the ball frequently when playing outdoor (yes, not all courts are that clean) it will be annoying and majority of ballers won't buy it.

I have a printer like this at my studio but I don’t think we can print as big as the ball, but it’s a cool machine for sure. The dust in ours is grey instead of white

My company has a branch with an SLS printer and it costs us about $200 to print something solid that's roughly a fifth the size of a basketball, so I would call that a low end estimate. SLS is just not very cheap.

I work with sls 3 d printers but i dont think this Ball comes close to the regular Basketball the gripp must be improvet i know sls surfaces are a bit rough but its not soft its very stabil and hard. And second problem is the price the Ball will surely cost 200+ the time fot print this is around 15 houers with one of the best sls printers and the material cost ist around 150 70 % of the clay can be re used . And the printers and material have tolerances i see much dificulties for this but its solvebal in few cases

You brought up from great points on this ball. I hope Wilson is not going wait too long to release it to public. The first version is not gonna be great but Wilson will benefits greatly from public feedback and make improvement on it.

I wonder if the holes are big enough to have an effect on someones ability to manipulate the ball like how jordan used to do the one handed ball fake. Could you fit enough of your fingertips into the ball to "palm" the ball better? Just a thought.

We are running out of air, thus we invented this ball in order to save humanity

I think the holes would actually benefit the Magnus Effect in some ways, acting more like dimples on a golf ball, and indeed acting like a Wiffle ball.

I would wager to say that the iteration that makes it to official game ball may have this technology in it, but I think they’ll put a skin on it. Maybe drop the weight of the structure just slightly to account for a solid skin and then the holes won’t be visible. If the material works as fas as bounce and durability, they can just replace the bladder of the current ball design with it, more or less. You won’t see it or feel it.

Nba always trying to mess with the ball, no need to fix something that isn’t broken

It maybe install live camera to get new perspective. Or add some technology like touch sensor such as determine which player final touch the ball.

I'm wondering if the holes in it makes it bounce weird sometimes.

I feel like it would feel weird rolling off your fingers because when you release the ball it might roll off those little holes differently each time affecting the shot.

Maybe in season tourney?? Or Summer League? Idk just some thoughts on when they may be thinking of testing it out with the Pros

Sounds like a street ball.. remember those? I like them personally, but people say the rubber surface affects the backspin compared to an official leather ball that slips as it leaves your fingertips where the street ball grabs your fingertips.

There seems to be more negatives than benifits.

I think the only fix that needs to be made is just apply the normal leather to the outside and have the 3d printed part be the core so it’s basically a normal basketball that you don’t have to fill with air like intended

I mean… is the old basketball broken? Or is this one going to make the game better?

It was very instructive to hear about what's after who plays these balls, thanks!

I feel like this is gonna create way more drag and feel different to shoot and they are gonna lose their bounce and flexibility with time and wear and tear (not to mention the elements)... Air pressure doesn't change with time. Sure there is a chance of getting a leak but I feel like that never happenes with a decent ball.

It'll be so interesting to see if they nail the feel/performance of a classic ball. I really want to try one!