Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports is reporting that the NBA will switch from Spalding to Wilson as its game ball manufacture after the 2020/21 season. Per Haynes, NBA games will be played with a Wilson ball from the start of the 2021/22 campaign, one which will mark the league’s 75th anniversary.
Spalding has been the official game ball provider for the NBA since 1983 but the two entities have mutually agreed to part ways. Wilson was the official manufacturing partner prior to the league striking up a deal with Spalding and the renewed partnership will see them also provide balls for the WNBA, G League, NBA 2K League and Basketball Africa League (BAL). Wilson currently provides balls for the NCAA and most high school games across the US are played with its balls.
“The same leather and product specifications will be used to produce the new ball with the assistance from the NBA and NBPA, which will create a player advisory board to offer suggestions,” Haynes writes. “Wilson basketball engineers, product designers and player insights specialists will work with the NBPA advisory board to create the new game balls.”
