The reason for the skin cuts and splits was probably because the microfibers were soaking up the sweat and oils from the players' hands. When skin is exposed to really absorbent material or distilled water the oils gets sucked out off the skin, and skin gets prone to cracking which is really painful. I work with distilled water alot and dry skin or skin cracks are a common occurrence.
hey I work with distilled water a lot while making dyes and inks for artwork, and my fingers always end up dried and cracked - there are other chemicals involved though, so I never suspected it was from the water itself…
My thoughts exactly. The ball doesn't cut you, but it's like juggling silica gel packets all day. They ended up with really dry skin, and dry skin getting repeatedly impacted is a recipe for cracking and bleeding. It's probably not something you would even see from anyone that wasn't a professional practicing for many hours daily, but for NBA players this is their life so they were handling these things constantly.
They'll add a perforated leather cover to the outside. It would keep the same feel and aerodynamics as the current balls but wouldn't need inflation. Adding solid leather would make air pressure involved again so perforated is the way it'll go
That's what I was thinking too. Make it slightly smaller and lighter then cover it with leather and tell no one; see how many people notices. That could also solve another problem aside from aerodynamics and feel which is the moisture it'll pick up when used. With that many holes I doubt the officials can keep that thing dry throughout the game; good luck getting all the sweat, water, drinks of any kind out of those holes.
@@jaydeleon695 I'm less concerned about liquids as I am solid stuff. You can spin the ball and the majority of liquid would come off from inside. Sure, it'd still be 'damp' but I don't think it would really effect it too much, and you could switch to a backup ball while it dried if it was really an issue. Heck, rinse it under some water, then set it aside to dry and it'll be good. However, imagine something like a tiny pebble/rock getting pushed through the hole on a bounce and then rattling around inside it. Granted, it's less likely in an arena vs playing outside, it's still possible. Popcorn kernel falls on the edge of the court from fans, the ball picks it up as it's dribbled over it, etc.. stuff like that.
You'd have to cover it carefully. Reducing the total surface area that the air inside can escape while the ball is compressed (bouncing) actually will give it an air pressure component. So they'd have to cover it with leather, but not block the holes at the same time. That would probably take more years of testing. And seeing as how they already spent the time to make the ball with the holes perfect, I honestly doubt they'll alter the outside surface of it. I'd also be willing to bet that no one is gonna like how it feels lol. It's gonna be the same thing as 2006.
cool idea but they want to avoid using animal products (I think) too and the synthetic stuff got shut down... one thing I am certain those balls won't have good wear and tear for street ball much less playing outside in the rain.
If it can be cheap enough, this would be great for lots of sports. With Wilson, tennis balls come to mind. You can't reinflate them so it's a pretty significant expense and the bounce changes a lot with the temperature. Soccer balls would be nice too. I would have appreciated a ball that didn't need inflating as a kid.
@@Wingnut353 SLS printing can be used fairly effectively for smaller scale runs of things, like making balls for schools and some high end customers. If it catches on then, they would switch to injection molding for a wide scale release.
The thing is that this new ball is essentially a piece of plastic with a bunch of holes in it. Imagine this thing flying at full speed into your face. That's a big nope, especially for soccer, where you have to hit it with your head.
I bought one of those new official 2006 balls when they first came out. I believe I paid about $150 for it. I love that ball, still have it. It has a much better grip than the other balls, specially for someone like me that has average size hands, but I agree that it becomes slippery when wet and also after a long shoot around, my fingertips would feel kinda tender. But it is more consistent and accurate, specially for bounce passes and bank shots off the back board
I just used to love the softness of it hitting my palm. After a bit of use it just became perfect for hand feel (yes very slick but otherwise I honestly loved it) I loved tossing it between my hands and spinning it across my palms. My brother had the ball, I think it's still at my parents house in my dad's garage. I also remember those weird slightly more bulbous basketballs with more inset lines that got weirdly popular about 08
I much prefer the 2006 balls over leather ones personally. They are way more consistent than leather balls in my opinion and are more resistant to the general wear and cracking that leather can experience after some time of use
I don't know if there has been any expressed intent to replace the league's balls with these. To me, the whole airless ball project kind of seems catered towards individuals, namely outdoor players. When I hear "3D printed basketball" I think of a ball that is cheap to produce. I may be wrong about that, because I know the production of these balls is much more complex than the 3d printing we're used to. Still, it would be really dope if this ball does end up being an ideal choice for outdoor players. A cheap ball that requires no maintenance and can be replaced easily.
I know there's a *huge* push from tire companies to develop noninflatables. It would be a huge leap forward--maybe not as revolutionary as the move *to* inflatable tires and balls etc. in the late 19th century but huge nonetheless. It really seems more a matter of when than if at this point. We'll see them on military and industrial craft, competitive racing craft, consumer craft, sooner or later and probably sooner than we might think. They will certainly have solved the "pebbles getting stuck in them" problem more crucially than the basketball folks, whatever that solution might be!
The additive manufacturing (3d printing) technique they used for this ball is one of the less common ones but has still been around since the 80s. Selective laser sintering. It makes sense for this application as it doesn't need support structure and can print in a wide variety of materials even metal. A stereolithography printer could also probably print this geometry but they can only print in less flexible resins
@@spiderface9179 go try and print a model that big using Laser sintering. I own some 3D printers myself, with FDM or SLA it will cost you a few hundred dollars. Laser sintering is a hell lot more expensive. Additive manufscturing may be good for prototyping but when it comes to mass production it isn't good enough.
@@eljoho622it’ll be commercially possible, it’ll also just be expensive. I really don’t know who or what this ball is for. I guess to reduce waste of basketballs after they wear out. And it looks cool. Except it won’t look as cool when it’s covered like it should be for a smooth but grippy feel. Is basketball waste really a priority for this planet? That really something we need to solve? Popping basketballs is really that big of a deal?
Just dont replace the balls outright, host games out of season or side events like a layup or dunk challenge to gauge the feel and performance of the balls, as well as player feedback. That way, you can actually _test_ it without forcing such a drastic, random change onto the players
im sure they would never switch NBA like that. too much on the line to abruptly change the ball it would be practice and off season first. im kind of curious to try it though
@@Vespyr_no there's a reason things sometimes don't change it's called wisdom and experience used be common and we respected the people who had it our elders now we have the 2 retarded generations who denigrate and belittle them and look stupefied and cry in pain when asking why it blew up in their faces.
I want a series of show matches with the ball. The potential aerodynamic quirks could mess players up, but with practice it could also raise the skill ceiling and introduce variety and specialization in the same way that the different clay, grass, and hard courts in tennis do. Different balls, different techniques.
As a non-profesional occasional player - I would buy. It looks so cool as it is right now, without the perforated leather, if they are planning to add it later. I will probably strip off the leather coat, if there will be one, as soon as I buy one. 😅
This ball is perfect for poverty areas, I recall a different company did a unpopable soccer ball. This could be used that way, in conjunction to be a featured in the NBA one day.
to fix the issues of finger nails and things getting caught and aerodynamics just use it as a core and put leather on the outside.. easy.. airless but essentially the same feel, grip, all that
This could work if they add a layer covering the holes. It needs to feel and play EXACTLY like current basketballs, but with a different inside Edit: y'all are having a great discussion in the comment section about this
@@juanpablogarcia9309ou know you can make a hollow structure without filling it with pressurized air right. An “airless” ball is just a different material all together that keeps its shape without air inside, it doesn’t have to be filled with holes. It’s just easier to 3D print if it is. They could cover it with a leather wrap or something to make it feel like a ball, but it’s definitely FAR from being able to replace a real basketball
There are also these rubber balls that are just terrible. A new one roughs up your hands. We used to spin in in our hands for hours before we were happy to use it. It did perform equally, but why not use the leather one to begin with. I think that might be a similar problem with the new one. Having hard edges is not good. I am also concerned about dust inside the ball. They would most likely build up stuff inside like hair and skin particles. While balls are dirty on the outside, you can't clean the inside causing it to be filthy after some time. You also can't put cloth on the outside, because it wouldn't bounce as well, so you can't fix the problem. Neither do I trust that it would bounce after laying in a corner for 4 years like air balls do. Remember, NBA balls are usually the standard that everyone uses including kids.
I want to see something like this for tennis, I know that Wilson triniti balls are pressureless and I enjoy them. But it would be awesome considering how quickly balls get used up. Obviously it will be very difficult to keep the same spin but I hope one day I won't have to switch out old balls
I kept 3 of the 2006 balls. I actually liked playing with them. Even if this new ball is exactly like the current one, there's a psychological issue at play. The current balls are fine so, in my opinion, there's no sense in changing them.
When businesses create a solution for a problem that doesn't exist, there's always something else at play - usually, money. Either the replacement product is cheaper to produce at scale than the original, or they're hoping they can trigger a fad and sell everyone a new ball. The only thing that loses out for sure is the environment.. instead of using natural leather and rubber (though I know petrochemicals are involved in most modern basketballs), they're moving to pure 'elastomeric polymer' balls - essentially a combination glue and plastic, probably carbon fibre and other components too. You can guarantee it's not recyclable, and likely non-decomposing. Thanks, Wilson.
As the video touched on, the aerodynamics of this ball would probably be *very* different to the existing ball, with some air going into the inside of the ball. That would *have* to affect its flight characteristics. It looks great, sure, but looks are a lot less important than "feel" and performance - bounce and flight.
When a sphere with holes like that spin, there's going to be drag. To stop the drag, you'll have to close up the holes, or make them small enough where airflow isn't going to be an issue. Then to fix the texture, you'll have to wrap the ball with the same or similar leather. Then to prevent dust and water buildup contaminating the interior of the ball you'll have to prevent things from entering the holes, either by plugging it up or having a one way hole design. In order to prevent the air being ejected out in a one way hole, you'll have to ensure there's enough air that enters and remains inside the interior. Congrats, you just created the current leather ball.
Lmfao exactly what I was thinking. It's like these people never seriously played basketball. They forgot the most important aspect of the game which is shooting. And when a player shoots a jump shot they will put backspin on it with a flick of the wrist. It can be the difference between a swish and brick. That seemingly small difference in trajectory will really stand out in a game where each team can take a 100 shots per game.
they're literally trying to reinvent the wheel, but in 3D this reads like NBA people are getting paid for wilson to increase profits with a cheaper, worse product. if they were serious there'd be years of testing at more junior level games before even thinking of asking top teir professionals to touch the thing
There will always be drag, and it is not game breaking changes. Some divits are often used to reduce drag, and holes can provide a different path for air reducing the air volume being displaced by the ball. It will change, but that is just a matter of getting used to it again. Dust and water buildup will not be a problem as the thing is filled with holes. Because there are many holes, having too little air inside the ball is a non-issue. You are just making problems where there are none. There are changes and challenges, perhaps too big ones, but no obvious breaking problems.
I want to try it as is it now! I'm not optimistic as to NBA changing to that as the regulated one, manly because of aerodynamics (I can see it giving great changes on long shooting due to its perforated and hollow nature), none the less, I really think it would be interesting to play with that ball.
as someone who played for years including high school. the feel of the ball is huge to me. so switching that up after years idk. I would have to try the new one and see how it feels to shoot and feel the grip
The most interesting thing here is the materials and manufacturing tech, that’s one hell of a material if it can withstand those forces and deformations for a decent lifespan, I can see this being used for all kinds of next gen protective gear.
There is a good chance the perforation would lend itself well to the current 3pt Era. The players would need at least a full off-season to practice with it though. Also another person mentioned coating it with perforated leather, which would probably help maintain a certain comfort level with players.
At that point why not just keep the current ball. It feels redundant to attempt to replicate something if you already have it; especially if there is no real issue with the current one.
@6:20 "Your probably familiar with 3d printing but their using a much different technology", not really PBF printers have been around a vary long time, It was one of the earliest systems used for "3D printing". 3D Systems came up with the concept along with the STL file format back in 87.
I can't wait to pick one of these up to play on the outdoor courts around the corner from our place - I agree, I think this is the market for this. The comment in the video about the changing flight of the ball is valid, but we contest with the wind altering the path of the ball as it is now, arguably one with holes might be less affected by strong wind shifts? So pros and cons either way. Still they look very cool - I want one. 🙂
@@Blackcat-yc5mu im sorry but how stupid do you have to be to think this? If rocks can get in they can get out. If it can fit through the hole it will just fall out
Somewhere in the 2003-2005 Spalding were making patent leather basketballs that the color were based on different teams. They looked great. But the outdoor uneven ground would destroy it them. Couple of my classmates had them. And they didnt last. lmao. They do look great tho.
i think its a good concept if they put a wrap of some kind similar to leather on it to stop the change in air distribution from a typical leather ball that was previously superior in performance
Sports Dynamics aside because I don't play basketball and I'm not sure why. I'm watching this video because I don't have much desire to really watch basketball, but this is interesting. I actually got to work with either a predecessor or a related model of the 3D printers that Wilson is using on these basketballs in college. We used the powder 3D printers to make robotics parts that had to be consistent across the entire surface but for one reason or another we couldn't use resin they printed extremely consistently, which was surprising considering it's a bed of powder. Despite my lack of interest in the sport, I'm interested to see how this new basketball goes and I'll probably follow the NBA for the first little bit when/if they introduce it, just to see what happens.
The plastic polymer used is an industry secret, but from research im doing its something probably similar to PA12, which is quite durable ngl. It also absorbs moisture very well.
I have a idea use more thicker alligator skin for the Wilson ball. Add bigger holes for more ventilation, but also use crystals in the inner core layer for equal gravity but also depth
every time I see the Seattle SuperSonics I remind myself oh my team is not at home anymore and then search for hours for any talks for Seattle to come back in the NBA.
Why is the ball not orange? Athletes are notoriously superstitious and if the ball is black or white, it’s a non-starter. I’m not saying they’ll accept an orange wiffle ball, but that’s part of it.
They're basically just advertising these balls to the public. If they act as if their new ball is truly something to be considered for professional use, it implies that it is a good product. (Which has actually yet to be determined). I imagine the NBA's ball would remain orange no matter what it's made out of. Though it wouldn't look as nice as the traditional balls do in orange. The color of the prototypes were black and white, probably because a bright orange ball would make their product look even tackier. With that said, I doubt that NBA players will ever approve the use of this wiffle ball. Change the ball, and you change the sport.
@#TeamStudNation1280 Who knows. They could also make them multi-colored like the Euroleagues balls. They've got lots of options and potential. We'll see
I dont think they intend for the ball with the holes to be the final product, its just the inside of the ball, like the rubber bladder they use now. They just take this new ball, slap the leather outside on it from the old ball, and voila, all the problems you just stated are solved. It looks the same, feels exactly the same, and flys exactly the same way, and its still airless.👍
na its just the grid, otherwise there would have been a single example of this skin in use, which there isnt, because they want to make as cheap a product as possible that requires as little human involvement as possible
I hate it when companies feel they need to “innovate” for the hell of it. It’s a recipe for disaster especially when it comes to something like a f-in ball
One point to me would be that while they're trying to reduce variance in air pressure, that's what makes the games fun and interesting. It also does not mean the worse player wins as the better player noticed and adapts faster. It shows off more skill. I feel like that's a factor that'll come back in years where we can't go back but wish we could. Also it DEFINITELY will affect the shooting and arcs especially with all of those air pockets. I am curious to see if there's a new kind of throw or arc it'll have compared to normal ones.
@@obscuretenet yeah the fact that he delivers consistently regardless of a so called inconsistent ball. Almost like you're commenting on a video about redesigning a basketball and getting snippy about someone talking about the design of a basketball 🤣
@@ryanwarner5006yeah, I'm not trying to see the best in the world struggle and try to adapt to some new technology lmfao. I'd go back to college and watch lab students if that were true.
I wonder why people think this would lack grip or air resistance. 1: It's clearly not hard like a PLA or ABS plastic. It would be more like a kind of TPU or Silicone plastic, which would absolutely grip and bounce. 2: When the ball is in flight it's usually spinning. The dimples on the surface alter the aerodynamics of a leather ball. This ball would behave similarly while spinning. In fact I expect that, given practice, the larger spaces will give players even greater control over longer distances.
Also that ball looks like a bitch to get hit by. A regular wilson, spalding or molten ball already hurt if you get hit hard i can't imagine getting the equivalent of a 12 oz plastic water bottle hitting me at basketbal speeds it would affect rebounding, stealing or even shooting because it can cause a lot of confusion due to the haptic cues shooters use to line the ball up with their hands
What's the major flaw with the old ball though? The fact it needs to be precisely inflated? It just doesn't seem like it's worth changing the whole design over.
Great thing for consumers? Probably not. The ball companies aren't going to produce outdoor balls that will last longer or be cheaper. Great things for NBA pros? Definitely not. After all that testing you're going to have to go a generation of youth that grew up with that ball. The only benefit is that a 3d printed ball doesn't demand a workforce (you know those dirt poor countries where the big sports brands go to a worse place where they can pay kids even less) so the manufacturers can save lots of money by getting rid of their cheap labour. It is a great thing for manufacturers.
The concerns about holes are completely understandable, but it doesn't need to have holes. You can produce it with eight panels and "stitch" them together, it's a relatively easy adjustment. They can also cover it with a leather like material. I think they made the design this way to draw attention and show off the capabilities.
I’m wondering if you play in different places, the ball should feel different due to elevation, humidity, air pressure. If this new ball isn’t inflated, it wouldn’t have most of those issues
The issue with this logic is that balls are inflated and tested before the game, on-location. Elevation and temp will not affect a rack of balls that are inflated and tested that day; Internal psi is consistent if the environment it is inflated in is consistent. What you are saying WOULD matter IF the ball was inflated somewhere else then MOVED to another location with significant ATM and TEMP changes that would create variation in psi. Source: dive master. psi and atm are literally life or death.
Ex. If you inflated a basketball at sea level, it's psi will be higher in the mountains. If you inflated a basketball in winter, during the summer it will be hard as a rock. You can also do this with water bottles while driving through the mountains.
This is a perfect example of a company or designer creating something that doesn't need to be changed. No NBA player asked for this, no player is complaining about the changing air pressure
Right. These professionals are extremely skilled because they've spent thousands and thousands of hours practicing, ever since they were little kids. Then you go and totally change that tool that they've been honing their skills on? Why? No one asked for it, and no one wants it. The ball is fine. Just leave it alone.
balls bounce different depending where you are... sometimes you get more bounce, sometimes you get more vibrations. Airless makes a lot of sense but how will it shoot?
Idk.... I think it'd be pretty interesting to see someone "curving" their shots or passes around the court. Imagine a side-winding shot curves horizontally around the hand, and the resulting spin against the backboard arrests the reflected momentum.... just ... drops in the basket. Or maybe like an aggressive Sandy Koufax sinking basketball shot. Looks like it's about to hit the back board on a frozen rope and then just Turns on the rocket engine and bolts downwards through the net.
The ball wasn't cutting their hands, it was drying their hands out(it was wrapped in a microfiber material) which made their hands significantly more susceptible to cuts. When I worked in a grocery store my hands would dry out from opening cardboard boxes. They would crack all the time which had never happened before and hasn't happened since.
the new holed ball i think could be fixed if they made the holes smaller, it would have the airless thing they want, and less air would go through the ball while shooting idk if they would make that and its probably too hard
Logistics nighmare. Not inflated balls use very little space, while hard sheel ball will require same space volume at any given time from manufacturing. In a spcae of one hard ball you can fit and ship at least 5-10 deflated ones, immagine the price per piece difference in manufacturing, storing, shipping, warehousing and so on.
i know this probably would be difficult to do, but the way you introduce something as game changing as a new ball type, you cannot ask already established NBA players to just go with it. You have to start raising the upcoming crop of players to use the ball from the beginning, that way they're used to it by the time they reach the NBA. Personally i would agree with the video, If it aint broke, don't fix it. The composite ball was just a way for the NBA and Spalding to save money. Now the NBA switched company, from spalding to wilson, so now wilson wants to justify their job, kind of like when a new manager gets hired at a new place and starts just changing stuff that don't need to be changed.. So wilson comes up with this horrible airless ball.. which is the dumbest idea ever..
It cannot be exactly the same, especially to seasoned pros who molded their precise skills with the old balls. Assuming such a change, it would take years for players to grow accustomed to the inevitable, crucial differences. Conceivably however, those differences would just become new aspects of the game and skillset. It seems a little archaic to be using animal skins.
Right, the grip is going to be way different. That edge between grip and slide during a shot is now going to depend on where your fingers might be between holes.
The reason for this seems simple and explained in the video: Wilson lost the contract. If the NBA chose this ball, they're the only ones that can make it
One big concern I have is that there really isn't a way to get this to perfectly replicate how an inflated ball bounces and withstands force. I gotta think if someone lands on this thing its gonna flatten out, and then where do they go from there. Do they have to call a timeout to fix it? would it even be fixable?
If someone lands on a basketball hard, could just break their back... this thing will likely just deform until it breaks. But the answer to your concern is that you just keep extras on hand.
I would change the courts and make them like giant monitors have hot spots pop up special efffects appearing under players doing well sync everything with the new digital backboards it could be amazing
Just shrink the holes on the inside to get the same effect as dimples on a golf ball. That would create air pressure allowing the ball to travel further with back spin.
I still play with a Spalding Peja Kings basketball from the 2000s. I don't really want to switch from it because I like the smoothness of the ball and the weight is heavy for good strength training on your shot and dribble moves. This plastic ball isn't too innovative since anyone with a 3D printer could make it, but of course, branding is gonna be the outlier here.
nah cus if you watch the original 3d printed basketball trailer, ur gon see that the ball is laser cut from some sort of sand object in a special very expensive 3d printer
Constant rubbing of finger crevices on the cuts are going to produce hard patches on the player's skin, that are going to produce stress cuts and burns.
They could keep it airless, just have a hole at each of the intersecting lines, nothing too big, just enough that it can always maintain it's inside air, even maybe add internal core webbing to it to maintain it's shape so it never has a moment of being "lopsided"
Maybe just cover new ball with leather or polymer fiber (for normal aerodynamic). And to not getting air pressure insaid the ball when it deforming just put some holes in the fiber itself.
I don't see the MBA transition to this going very smoothly either. If at all. But this product if it can be made cheaper than currently could have a place within consumer market. A ball that never deflates sounds like a grate feature for a garage basketball or a school gym.
