Wilson's New Airless Basketball Prototype
5/16/23
By: Anthony Hynes
Basketballs have gone through various designs since it was first created. The first one was this brownish color with laces, to an orange and black striped ball, and now a ball that could change the sport. Meet Wilson’s new 3D printed design, a collaboration with the 3D printing and engineering company, EOS.
The Ball
This new basketball has many various improvements to gameplay and the entire sport itself. The ball hasn’t yet been released to the public, and could cost between $200-250. The airless basketball is only a prototype, so they are still testing it. Since the ball is airless, and 3D printed, there is no need to keep reflating it after a while. The ball being airless allows it to bounce freely without using the pressure inside of it. Instead, using the rubber elasticity the ball is made from. It has a hexagon pattern, instead of the 8 sectors we’re used to on a leather ball.
Wilson's New Prototype of the basketball.
Cole Dunkin, a 6th grader at EJHS told us what he thinks about the ball. He said, “I think it is interesting that people could make a ball without air. I wonder how good it is compared to a normal basketball.” Some people are wondering how good its stats are in gameplay. Liam Drewes, another 6th grader at EJHS, didn’t think positively about it. Liam said, “I don’t like it, I like the original Wilson basketball better because it has a better grip and it is used almost all the time. Whether you’re on a court or in your driveway, we can all agree the original is better.” Some people don’t agree with Wilson’s change such as Liam, and there are claims to support them. But there are claims that support either side.
How it was made
Wilson collaborated with manufacturing company EOS to produce the ball, which was made using the selective laser sintering (SLS) method of additive manufacturing, and is the most expensive type of 3D printing. The reason they made the ball airless was so that players could pass easier, never go flat, and for the ball to bounce higher. But, the ball does have some cons to it. Such as when you are playing outside and it gets rocks in it? Or what if it’s windy outside and it messes up your shot? What if it gets caught in a bush? While all of these questions are reasonable,
Kenyon Martin Jr, with the ball in hand.
the NBA hasn’t made any plans to switch to the airless basketball anytime soon. Which is a relief for some people, but not all. The basketball is still going through design progress, but was introduced at the 2023 Slam Dunk Contest, where Kenyon Martin Jr. tested it out. To make the introduction more theatrical, it came in a glass box. To heighten it even further, the ball matched with the Rocket players outfit.
As above, the ball is still a work-in-progress, so it isn’t going to be coming to the courts, or shelves anytime soon. Until it is finished in development, the basketball won’t be released to the public. The NBA is still going to use their original black-striped orange leather ball until then. So we may as well wait, and see what happens.
Contributor Bio
Anthony Hynes is a 6th grader at EJHS. Usually spending his time on computers, playing outside, or watching movies.