The NBA’s Spalding era is coming to an end.
According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, the NBA’s contract with Spalding is expiring, and the league will now be moving on to Wilson for its official game balls.
The change will take place for the 2021-22 campaign.
Wilson will also serve as the official game ball of the WNBA, the G-League, the NBA 2K League and the Basketball Africa League.
The decision to part ways was mutual on the part of the NBA and Spalding.
So ends a run that lasted the better part of four decades, as Spalding became the league’s official game ball back in 1983. Ironically enough, Spalding replaced Wilson at the time. Wilson was previously the NBA’s partner for 37 years.
The Wilson company’s product designers and player insights specialists will work with the NBA Players’ Association’s advisory board to create the new basketballs.
Wilson is already the official game ball of the NCAA Tournament and is used in most high schools across the country, so it is now establishing itself as the dominant basketball in the United States.
As for the current state of the NBA? The 2019-20 campaign was indefinitely suspended as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The suspension occurred back in mid-March when Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. Numerous other NBA players received positive tests afterward.
Whether or not the season will resume at some point is up in the air.
But one thing is for sure: Spalding will have at least one more full season before Wilson gives it the boot.
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