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How much does an official nba basketball cost
How Much Does an Authentic NBA Game Ball Cost?
Today’s NBA is one of the most entertaining athletic spectacles there is. World-class superstars like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry fly up and down the court with incredible precision, grace, and athleticism. But as you’re watching these players play, how often do you consider the tools they are using?
Have you ever considered what an NBA game ball is made out of, who produces it, and how much money it’s worth? It’s probably more than you think. Let’s take a closer look at the ridiculous amount that one NBA game ball costs.
An NBA basketball on the court before a game | Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images
The history of the NBA basketball
While a lot of equipment goes into the NBA game, there’s no single piece of equipment more important than the ball. And that piece of equipment has a history nearly as old as the game itself.
The first basketball ever used wasn’t a basketball at all. When Dr. James Naismith developed the game in 1891 in Springfield, Massachusetts, he had the first players use a soccer ball to play the game.
Naismith then went to A.G. Spalding and asked him to design a ball specifically for this game. The game’s official rules Naismith wrote mandated that Spalding make all official balls used for the sport.
How the basketball has evolved throughout the years
Spalding designed the first synthetic leather basketball in 1972. In 1983, Spalding’s basketball became the official basketball of the NBA. In 1992, Spalding introduced the composite leather basketball, which had a lighter touch but also added durability.
Finally in 1997, Spalding became the official ball of the WNBA — this ball resembled the NBA’s ball, only it was orange and white instead of solid orange.
Spalding’s name is essentially synonymous with the NBA and WNBA now. It’s also synonymous with the idea of playing basketball for many young hoopers who play in elementary, middle, and high school as well as in college.
But while many people probably think the basketballs used professionally are the same standard-issue balls used in gyms all around the country, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
How much does an authentic NBA game ball cost?
The cost of an authentic, game-ready NBA basketball is probably way more than you think. It’s also way more than what you’d drop walking into a sporting goods store to buy most kinds of basketball.
A Spalding replica ball retails at $59.99. At most sporting goods stores, you can get an indoor basketball for probably around $30. If you guessed either of those prices for how much an actual NBA game ball costs, you’d be way off. According to the Spalding website, an official NBA game ball costs $169.99.
The Spalding website advertises the following features of their NBA game basketballs:
Official NBA size and weight: Size 7, 29. 5″
Full-grain Horween leather cover
Ships inflated
Designed for indoor play only
What does this mean? It means Spalding puts a lot of resources into the NBA’s actual balls – more than the resources that go into the basketballs that hit the shelves of most sporting goods retailers. You can obviously buy one of these, but they’re a lot less readily available than those other modestly-priced basketballs.
One important distinction? The ball is marked for indoor play only. Many Spalding balls double as indoor/outdoor balls that can be used in either setting. These are custom-made to be used on NBA hardwood floors. Using them anywhere else could do significant damage to the ball.
While it’s true the NBA basketball is a bit pricier than the average ball, for the cost mentioned above you can have one of your own. Just be sure to take good care of it and not use it outdoors as it could be damaged — and you’ll be $169.99 lighter.
Wilson reveals NBA official game ball in advance of 2021-22 NBA season
Wilson, which was the official game ball for the league’s first 37 seasons, returns to the NBA.
CHICAGO, June 17, 2021 — Wilson Sporting Goods Co., in partnership with the National Basketball Association (NBA), today unveiled the league’s new official game ball in advance of the NBA’s 75th anniversary season. The reveal tips off a multiyear partnership, welcoming the NBA’s first official basketball manufacturer – Wilson – back to the game.
The Wilson NBA official game ball is comprised of the same materials, eight-panel configuration and performance specifications as the league’s current game balls and sources the same leather currently used in the NBA. Over the past year, the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) worked jointly with Wilson to develop and approve the new game ball through team evaluation sessions. The game ball features the iconic NBA and Wilson logos in full grain pebbling, with the Wilson logo also including an anthracite inline.
“Wilson is excited to unlock our history and heritage with the NBA to grow the game of basketball on the global stage,” said Kevin Murphy, General Manager, Wilson Team Sports. “On the heels of launching our WNBA and BAL partnerships, we will continue building for the future of the sport. Wilson will focus first on supporting the league and its players with its high-performance game balls, then extending our basketball family to reach fans, coaches and players at all levels, around the world.”
“Our partnership with Wilson fittingly comes to life as we approach our 75th anniversary season,” said Salvatore LaRocca, NBA President, Global Partnerships. “As the NBA’s official game ball for the league’s first 37 seasons, Wilson makes its return building on our shared history and looking ahead toward the continued growth of the league.”
Wilson’s NBA official game ball will make its on-court debut at the Microsoft Surface NBA Draft Combine 2021, scheduled to take place Monday, June 21 through Sunday, June 27. The game ball will be available for purchase exclusively on wilson.com in the U.S. beginning July 29, in alignment with the NBA Draft 2021 presented by State Farm. Additional NBA-licensed Wilson products will be made available through key retail partners globally including NBAStore.com, Amazon and others throughout the summer.
To coincide with the game ball reveal, Wilson is also introducing its first NBA Advisory Staff members – 2020 NBA All-Star Trae Young and 2016 first-round NBA Draft pick Jamal Murray. As official Wilson Advisory Staff members, Young and Murray will playtest, provide feedback and collaborate on Wilson basketball products.
“Joining Wilson’s Advisory Staff was such a natural fit for me,” said Young. “I’ve been using their basketballs since I was a kid – from hooping in my driveway to playing throughout college. It’s exciting to see Wilson return to the NBA, and for me to have a voice in how they show up both on and off the court.”
Trae Young
Jamal Murray
Young and Murray join a growing roster of Wilson Basketball Advisory Staff members, including three-time WNBA All-Star Liz Cambage, FIBA 3×3 stars Dušan Bulut and Migna Touré, renowned skills coach Chris Brickley and tastemaker Beija Velez, with more players expected to be announced as the season approaches.
Wilson’s partnership milestones with the NBA will continue to roll out throughout 2021 with announcements and activations across the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), NBA G League, NBA 2K League and Basketball Africa League (BAL), and into the NBA’s 75th anniversary season.
NBA parting ways with the legendary Spalding. Why did the basketball turn orange? - Bank shot - Blogs
Editor's Note: This text was released on Sports.ru on September 10, 2019. We lift it up because today is the end of an era: the NBA has stopped working with Spalding, whose balls have accompanied the league since '83.
Today the ball is the most recognizable part of basketball. But initially it was not so.
When, on the morning of December 21, 1891, James Naismith, a physical instructor at Springfield College, fired up with a new idea, came to work, he did not particularly think about what qualities the projectile should have. All he understood was that for the new game he invented, he needed a large ball. So he tried on two football versions - for rugby and for soccer. The rugby ball is elongated so that it can be carried in the hands, but the rules of the new game just prohibited it, so he took the round one.
The third rule in Namesit's legendary manifesto was: A player may not run with the ball. He must throw it from the place where he caught it; some movement is allowed if the ball was caught at high speed.
At first, the students played only in this way - they could either pass or roll the ball on the ground. Dribbling was first used by students at Yale University in 1897, and from there it spread throughout the world. At first, only one hit to the floor could be made, from 1909 the restrictions were lifted. In 1903, players who dribbled were banned from throwing until 1915.
And throughout the first third of the 20th century, basketball purists did not stop trying to fight this heretical change in Naismith's 13 commandments.
This was partly logical - and due to the fact that the game balls themselves were completely unsuitable for crossovers, shamgods and other Enduan things.
Basketball was first played with soccer balls .
The first basketball was made in the mid-90s by the bicycle factory Overman Wheel Co. from Massachusetts. It was lighter and larger than the soccer ball that had been played before.
And in the late 1890s, Naismith asked AJ Spaulding to develop an improved version of the basketball. True, even this was not very even, not very round and had lacing, which made dribbling difficult. In addition, such balls were 7-8 centimeters larger in diameter than modern ones, and much heavier than .
Well, they traditionally had an unpleasant dark brown color.
Naturally, basketball players were most infuriated by lacing, so Chuck Taylor could not ignore this problem. The founding father of Chuck Taylor All-Stars has always claimed to have played for professional and semi-pro teams for 11 years. And although this fact from his biography is poorly documented, it is obvious that he was rather tired of the crooked ball. In 1935, his company began to produce not only basketball shoes, but also released the first ball without lacing. Both the Converse All Star sneakers and the changed shell - for greater stability it now consisted of eight parts, and not four - at the official level akin to basketball in the next thirty years.
An unobvious moment: many people were convinced that a basketball has a natural color, skin color. In fact, this is not so: it was artificially dyed and given the traditional brown color.
Many players didn't like her, especially those with vision problems. But to make a radical change, it took the intervention of television.
In the mid-1950s, the TV crew insisted that the ball was hard to see from the stands and not very good on the television picture, and insisted on changing the color scheme . By 1957, it was decided that the balls would become light brown or even yellow.
And here another Indiana basketball representative had to intervene. Butler varsity head coach Tony Hinkle decided to develop an original color scheme and worked with Spalding to come up with the more radical orange colorway .
The new projectile debuted in the 1958 NCAA Final Four and won everyone over. The NCAA then switched to orange, and all other leagues gradually followed.
However, there has never been any stable variant - for half a century, about 50 gradations of orange / brown / dark brown have been used.
No one pissed off a dark brown ball more than center George Mikan, the first "greatest player in basketball history." To modern fans, he is known mainly for playing with thick glasses, and more like a militant nerd than a basketball player.
“I didn't see this crap at all,” Maikan said. - Then the arenas were even much worse lit, and the ball blended into the background. If you watched basketball on TV, then this shit-colored thing was not particularly visible.
Maikan was helpless to change anything as a player. But in 1967, the NBA had an aggressive competitor - the ABA - and the former bespectacled center was appointed its commission agent. So the first thing he decided to do was throw a brown ball out of the modern ship. The league was called American, and therefore they decided that the new ball would have the color of the American flag .
The owners of the ABA clubs disagreed for a long time: for them, a ball of this color symbolized almost the desecration of the national flag. But then Maikan balked and threatened to resign, and this is how the most legendary ball in the history of basketball appeared. In subsequent years, about 30 million shells of this color were sold in America - however, the ABA forgot to acquire a patent and practically did not earn anything from it.
In the 1980s, this color came back into fashion thanks to the efforts of the Beastie Boys. And it is still not clear why NBA commissioner David Stern, who knows how to make money on everything, tested many of the ABA's marketing moves, but never adopted the red-blue-white ball.
Maybe that's why.
“I came up with a trick that I used exclusively in the ABA,” said Roger Brown, one of the stars of that league. - The feint was associated with the color of the ball. When he spun in the air, he produced a kind of hypnotic effect. So I took the ball and started to twist it, as it were. Some defenders watched this as if spellbound, and one second was enough for me to break away from them.
The George Mikan Revolution not only destroyed the reverence for the traditional color of the ball, but also introduced various questions into the public plane about what qualities a projectile should have in general.
Players and coaches in the ABA constantly complained that the balls were supposedly made of a different material, and therefore slipped too much (this is how they explained the monstrous number of losses in the league).
It took a lot of time and almost specially organized trips to the factories to convince everyone that the only difference is the colors.
No one protested openly in the NBA. But various ancillary measures were taken covertly: for example, Phil Jackson said that his teams - Chicago and the Lakers - dropped balls so that he would not bounce far from the shield and so that Jordan or Shaq could grab him with one hand . He was taught this trick by his Knicks coach Red Holtzman, who himself had been performing since the era of the lace-up ball. And some said that they treated the balls with sandpaper so that they were not so slippery.
With the development of technology, designers have already become the players.
In the 90's there was a pitted version of the golf ball. But they still preferred pimples.
New components and structures have been introduced to wick away moisture so that the ball does not slip in sweaty hands.
With the use of synthetic materials, the color scheme has also become completely chaotic: on the streets you can find balls of a wide variety, from black and orange to the colors of any club.
Only professional leagues stick to the orange/brown tradition and dare to make minimal assumptions.
Photo: Gettyimages.ru/Orlando/Three Lions; Markus Boesch; Otto Greule Jr; Steve Grayson; Streeter Lecka
KP top 10 rating
Basketball originated in Massachusetts as an attempt to make physical education classes more fun and varied. Then this sport began to gain popularity in educational institutions in the United States. At the beginning of the 20th century, basketball was formed into a professional sport with the formation of club teams. Gradually, this game is gaining worldwide popularity and stands out as an independent sport in other countries. Basketball's evolution culminates in its inclusion in the 1919 Summer Olympics.36 and around it grows a whole industry.
Modern basketball is divided into amateur and professional. The main attribute of the game is the ball. What does he represent? The ball must be in the form of a sphere of a certain shade of orange with a classic pattern and black seams. Standard has eight inserts. In competitions, it is customary to use balls of the 7th size, the mass of which ranges from 567-650 grams, and the circumference ranges from 749 to 780 mm. But in other cases, balls of other sizes are used. Also, basketballs are universal (can be used indoors and outdoors), only for the street and only for playing indoors. Today there are many brands that produce balls. They differ in quality and price. Our top 10 best basketballs of 2022 will help you navigate this variety. And our expert Artem Samsonov will give some recommendations on choosing a ball that suits your goals.
Top 10 rating according to KP
1. Wilson Reaction PRO
Wilson Reaction PRO. Photo: market.yandex.ru
Wilson Reaction PRO is a professional basketball. Suitable for indoor and outdoor play. Production material - high quality composite leather based on polyurethane. This ball is characterized by a soft hit and good grip. The camera is made of butyl, a fairly high-quality material. The size of the ball is 7. There are eight glued panels in total. The advantage of this model is the original ball, officially approved in England.
Pros and cons
Grippy, good rebound, material quality
May stain leather a bit with black paint
2. TORRES Block
TORRES Block. Photo: market.yandex.ru
This model was originally created for amateur games. The design of the ball is traditional, but the coloring is different from the usual standard. But there is no problem in this. But the ball is great for training passes and shots. Can be used for both outdoor and indoor play. The top layer is made of durable rubber, resistant to all sorts of negative impacts. The ball will also work well on hard surfaces. The chamber is made of butyl. The ball itself belongs to the 7th size category. A nice bonus: the kit includes a needle for pumping.
Pros and cons
Light, bright design, needle included
Not everyone likes the color scheme
3.
Spalding TF-250 All Surface Spalding TF-250 All Surface. Photo: market.yandex.ru
The Spalding TF-250 All Surface basketball has a classic look. A great option for training and local competitions. The ball is declared by the manufacturer as universal: that is, it can be used for games in the hall or in the open air. The tire is made of polyurethane, the model is quite wear-resistant. The camera, already quite familiar, is made of butyl. The ball has been certified by FIBA. The standard size - 7 - is optimal for the game.
Pros and cons
Price, workmanship, good option for beginners
Heavy wear from asphalt
4. Molten BGF5X
Molten BGF5X. Photo: market.yandex.ru
Molten BGF5X is a size 5 ball specially made for training in sports facilities. According to the manufacturer, the surface of the ball is made using a revolutionary technology that makes it as comfortable as possible to hold in the hand and improves rotational stability, which increases the accuracy of throws and passes. The top layer of the ball made of polyurethane securely closes the butyl chamber. The purpose is universal: you can play in the hall and on the street.
Pros and cons
Workmanship, production material
High price
5. Jogel JB-400 #7
Jogel JB-400 #7. Photo: market.yandex.ru
Jogel JB-400 No. 7 - this ball model is designed for training basketball players. It has good grip and interesting design. The material of the upper layer is synthetic leather, which allows you to use the ball in the hall and on the street. Regarding the camera: everything is standard here - it is made of butyl. The model complies with FIBA size and weight requirements. Size category - 7.
Pros and cons
Price, brand
Scraped on asphalt
6. Larsen RBF7
Larsen RBF7. Photo: market.yandex.ru
Larsen RBF7 is an outdoor ball model. The upper material is made of foam rubber, which allows you to adequately withstand the wear and tear from playing on hard surfaces. However, the ball may behave unpredictably when played indoors. Size category - 7. The camera is also made of rubber. A good option for a beginner who wants to get acquainted with basketball.
Pros and cons
Price, durability
Not suitable for the hall
7. Dobest PK-884
Dobest PK-884. Photo: market.yandex.ru
Dobest PK-884 is more suitable for amateurs, both indoors and outdoors. The tire is made of polyurethane, gives the ball a good margin of safety. Standard butyl chamber without unique techniques. Ball size 7. It is worth noting the eye-catching design and coloring.
Pros and cons
Play comfort, material quality
Hardness
8. WELSTAR BR2814D-7
WELSTAR BR2814D-7. Photo: market.yandex.ru
This basketball has the most colorful color, unlike the rest in our rating. Optimal for the amateur level - it's fun to play outside with friends and warm up in the hall. The top layer of rubber makes the product durable, and the butyl chamber gives elasticity and reliability. A good price is one of the advantages of this ball. Size category - 7.
Pros and cons
Price, bright appearance
Not suitable for professional use
9. ATEMI BB500
ATEMI BB500. Photo: market.yandex.ru
ATEMI BB500 is a budget ball, the purpose of which is to play in the hall or on the street, subject to the presence of a special rubberized coating. Playing on pavement will shorten the lifespan quickly. The material of the upper layer was rubber, with a good indicator of strength and resistance to mechanical damage. The butyl chamber is reinforced with nylon thread for greater reliability. The ball has good aerodynamic properties. Pros: nice color scheme in appearance. A good option for the amateur level.
Pros and cons
Price, material
Not suitable for asphalt
10. Petra BB-042
Petra BB-042. Photo: market.yandex.ru
Petra BB-042 — a basketball at a low price. The most budget option of our rating. Suitable for amateur play. A good solution for a beginner - will allow you to master the basics of basketball. The size of the ball is 7. The material of the tire and the chamber is rubber.
Pros and Cons
Slippery
How to choose a basketball
When choosing a basketball, you should pay attention to the following characteristics: very important factor in its selection. It is customary to divide the balls into three classes:
for the street (Outdoor),
for the hall (Indoor),
universal (Indoor/outdoor).
Outdoor balls with maximum wear resistance. As a rule, they are made from synthetic materials. Sharpened for hard surfaces such as asphalt or rubber. A feature of this type is the rigidity at tactile contact.
Indoor models show good adhesion to parquet. Leather and synthetic materials are used for manufacturing, balls with a composite coating are especially good. But playing on the street with him is a rash decision, as the ball will quickly become unusable.
General purpose basketballs made of rubber. Suitable for indoor and outdoor use. They are quite tolerant of wear and feel good on the parquet flooring of the hall. Often they have an additional coating of synthetic or composite material.
Size
The officially approved ball size for men's competitions is number 7, which is characterized by a weight of 567-650 grams and a circumference of 749-780 mm. Size 6 is the standard size for a women's basketball and has a mass in the range of 510-567 grams and a circumference ranging from 724 to 737 mm. For mini-basketball games, a size 5 ball is used. It can be determined by the circumference within 690-710 mm and weight 470-500 grams. Usually such competitions are held for children no older than twelve years. And size 3 is used in basketball training to hone dribbling. The ball of this size category has a weight in the region of 300-330 grams and a circumference of 560-580 mm.
Material of manufacture
The material used to make the ball is a significant factor to consider when purchasing. Professional balls are usually made from composite materials. Universal balls must have high strength, because they are made from synthetic raw materials. For the hall, the best solution would be a ball made of genuine leather. If a basketball is marked "Supreme Leather", then this indicates the use of extra-class leather.
Quality
The easiest way to check the quality of a ball is to bounce it. A well-made and properly inflated ball should bounce to a height of about 130 centimeters. But there is another way: raise the ball to the level of your head and let it go. Then he should bounce to the level of the belt. It is also important to inspect the nipple. The durability of the ball depends on its performance. Flexibility is another sign of quality. After a short play, the ball should not become soft. It is important to remember that a special nozzle is needed when pumping, a football needle is not the best option. Also, do not kick and sit on a basketball. Careful operation significantly extends the service life and contributes to the adequate "behavior" of the ball during the game.
In 1992, Spalding introduced the composite leather basketball, which had a lighter touch but also added durability. 
5″
“On the heels of launching our WNBA and BAL partnerships, we will continue building for the future of the sport. Wilson will focus first on supporting the league and its players with its high-performance game balls, then extending our basketball family to reach fans, coaches and players at all levels, around the world.”
Additional NBA-licensed Wilson products will be made available through key retail partners globally including NBAStore.com, Amazon and others throughout the summer.
All he understood was that for the new game he invented, he needed a large ball. So he tried on two football versions - for rugby and for soccer. The rugby ball is elongated so that it can be carried in the hands, but the rules of the new game just prohibited it, so he took the round one. 
And although this fact from his biography is poorly documented, it is obvious that he was rather tired of the crooked ball. In 1935, his company began to produce not only basketball shoes, but also released the first ball without lacing. Both the Converse All Star sneakers and the changed shell - for greater stability it now consisted of eight parts, and not four - at the official level akin to basketball in the next thirty years. 
Standard has eight inserts. In competitions, it is customary to use balls of the 7th size, the mass of which ranges from 567-650 grams, and the circumference ranges from 749 to 780 mm. But in other cases, balls of other sizes are used. Also, basketballs are universal (can be used indoors and outdoors), only for the street and only for playing indoors. Today there are many brands that produce balls. They differ in quality and price. Our top 10 best basketballs of 2022 will help you navigate this variety. And our expert Artem Samsonov will give some recommendations on choosing a ball that suits your goals. 
The size of the ball is 7. There are eight glued panels in total. The advantage of this model is the original ball, officially approved in England. 
Spalding TF-250 All Surface Spalding TF-250 All Surface. Photo: market.yandex.ru 
The top layer of the ball made of polyurethane securely closes the butyl chamber. The purpose is universal: you can play in the hall and on the street. 
However, the ball may behave unpredictably when played indoors. Size category - 7. The camera is also made of rubber. A good option for a beginner who wants to get acquainted with basketball. 
A good price is one of the advantages of this ball. Size category - 7. 
A good solution for a beginner - will allow you to master the basics of basketball. The size of the ball is 7. The material of the tire and the chamber is rubber. 
Professional balls are usually made from composite materials. Universal balls must have high strength, because they are made from synthetic raw materials. For the hall, the best solution would be a ball made of genuine leather. If a basketball is marked "Supreme Leather", then this indicates the use of extra-class leather. 
