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.

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)

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.

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 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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

"You won't be able to do that with your own 3d printer at home." Tell that to carterpcs, dude already did that 💀

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.