What Basketballs Are Used in What Competitions?

Although a basketball looks the same, there are actually a few brands that make official basketballs. There are five companies that produced basketballs that are used in competition, ranging from the NBA games to world competitions.

The first company to produce an official basketball was Spalding. The company founder, A.G. Spalding, made the first basketball at the end of the 19^th century after a request from James Naismith. Up until 1983, it produced the official basketball used in NBA games. Spalding also has produced many basketball that can be used in the consumer market.

As of 2006, Spalding announced the NBA would be switching basketballs and a new official ball would be introduced. Made from microfiber, it was designed to improve grip and feel while managing moisture. Due to many complains about the ball being slippery and an increase in friction, NBA commissioner David Stern announced the old ball would be used at the beginning of the 2007 year.

While Spalding is the official ball for the NBA, Wilson is the official ball for NCAA tournaments. It is used for all Division I (men and women) tournaments. It is the standard basketball used in college games and usually used in high school games. Wilson's most popular product used in games is the SOLUTION basketball, as it absorbs the moisture and allows the players to retain the grip. Wilson can commonly be seen in the consumer market.

Molten is a Japanese sporting goods manufacturer that produces basketballs for world competitions. They are responsible for providing the game balls for all FIBA world championships and qualifying events, as well as FIBA Asia events. They are also used in most international leagues, such as Argentina, Australia, Germany, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, and Portugal. Although it was signed to be the basketballs used for Europe competitions including the ULEB Cup, this was signed over the Nike. Molten's basketball that is most used is the GL7/GL6, as it's high density foam and pebbled finish allows a bigger contact area.

Rawlings has been manufacturing basketballs since 1902. They are the official basketball used in AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) games and is the basketball used in the "Gus Macker" (the largest 3 vs. 3 tournaments in the U.S.

Finally, as mentioned above, Nike now provides the basketballs for the ULEB. It is used in the NCAA games in the Philippines. All competitions that use a Nike ball use the 4005 Official Tournament Balls.

Wikipedia, Basketball (ball)