https://theathletic.com/1831512/202...as-it-moves-to-wilson-for-future-basketballs/ NBA abandons Spalding for Wilson for the next 10 years. Wilson’s immediate owner is Finnish sports goods giant Amer Sports that owns notable brands such as Louisville Slugger, DeMarini and Precor. Amer Sports was bought by a Chinese consortium led by Anta Sports Products Ltd., one of the world’s largest sports companies, for $5.2 billion in 2018, according to Bloomberg. Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson has a signature shoe deal with Anta. When asked if there was any correlation between the Wilson deal and the league’s critical relationship with China, an NBA spokesperson said “no” via email. The league has said the Chinese market is directly worth $4 billion annually, and that relationship was in jeopardy last year after a tweet by Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey in support of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protests angered the authoritarian Chinese government. There was a wave of anti-NBA backlash in China and many business relationships were briefly paused before quietly returning to normal. [...] ShotTracker and other companies are trying to land an eventual deal to have the NBA and NCAA and other leagues use their motion-tracking technology in balls and to put such sensors on players. The goal is to create customized next-gen metrics for coaching, players, medical staff, media, fans and gamblers. Let the conspiracy theories begin.
good move. the league gets much needed moneez and we draw closer to having china become our overlords. thanks obama.
So Benjamin Franklin and George Washington are dead but they are still on bills Stern did more for the NBA than Silver will ever do
Yeah doing a drug sting on the Rockets ahead of the 1986-87 season when everyone is open about the Lakers and Bulls doing drugs as well. And burying the NBA referee gambling ring story.
that was evil, but the league in general changed Nothing in the world could stop Clutch City though I don't want Adam SIlver on the ball, that's like getting Pippen shoes when you want Air Jordans for Christmas
Signature on the ball/Puck on EVERY Sport that does that reflects the CURRENT Commissioner. Get your panties out a bunch.
******* Chio-neese.. Y'all should be grateful for Wilson because the sorriest sporting goods brand is Franklin.
NBA Players Struggling To Adjust To New Wilson Basketball NBA players are notoriously finnicky when it comes to the basketball. Several years back, when the NBA tried to change to a synthetic ball, complaints were so loud that the league switched back to their original leather ball mid-season. Now, it's happening again. After years of Spalding providing the NBA with its game balls, the league switched to Wilson. Wilson said they have tried to replicate the ball as well as possible, but players aren't buying it. NBPA President C.J. McCollum of the Portland Trail Blazers said, "We're all still adjusting to (the new ball)." McCollum later added that he planned to discuss with players around the league to "get feedback" on the ball. Paul George of the LA Clippers was more direct in his criticism of the Wilson ball. George said he wouldn't use the ball as an excuse, but that "it's a different basketball. It doesn't have the same touch and softness that the Spalding ball had." Many around the league have suggested that the new Wilson ball has been a factor in shooting percentages dropping around the league to open the 2021-22 season. Several star players have gotten off to rough starts, but none have directly blamed the ball for their early-season shooting challenges.
The biggest questions on every Clutchfans posters mind is if the Spalding ball was also used for the GLeague. That would explain J Green's shooting struggles. I'm joking by the way.
I don't get why it's so different. They supposedly source the same leather from Horween. Maybe Spalding does some secret sauce to the leather in their manufacturing process
It's always the same with basketball and soccer (same **** every Euro or world cup with a new ball) it seems, I feel like it's mostly emotional bias. Wilson balls have always been my favourites fwiw, usually have great grip and aren't slippy like Molten balls.