Wilson Sporting Goods Co. was the Official Basketball of the National Basketball Association. It has shown its innovation and embraced 3D printing in order to create the world’s first 3D printed, airless basketball. The 3D Airless Prototype Basketball was introduced Saturday night during the first round of the AT&T Slam Dunk Contest by Houston Rockets’ player, KJ Martin.
“We are so proud to unveil Wilson’s 3D Airless Prototype basketball as a physical manifestation of our continued commitment to sport innovation,” said Kevin Murphy, General Manager, Team Sports at Wilson. “This is just one example of how our team approaches the game and why we are the number one basketball company in the world today.”
This 3D-printed basketball is the first of its kind and it’s playable. It almost matches the performance requirements of a regular basketball in terms weight, size, rebound, bounce, and bounce. The ball, however, does not need to be inflated because it is comprised of a black, see-through lattice with eight panel-like “lobes.”
The 3D Airless Prototype Basketball demonstrates the collaboration between Wilson and the NBA. However, no changes will be made to the Wilson NBA official ball. It will still be composed of the same leather materials and eight-panel configuration as the current game ball.
“This is my first time participating in the NBA All-Star festivities, and to do so with Wilson, in such a memorable way on a big stage here in Utah is really special,” said Martin. “The game continues to evolve with each generation of players, and to have a brand partner continue to push the envelope through innovation is so important to the future of basketball.”
The Wilson Labs team created the design for the 3D Airless Prototype Basketball at the brand’s Innovation Center in Chicago before bringing the design to life with key partners. General Lattice provided computational design services, DyeMansion provided color and finishing solutions, and EOS provided additive manufacturing from its technical center, which is powered by AT&T’s high-speed fiber network.
