NEW YORK (AP) — Wilson will begin manufacturing game balls for the NBA again starting with the 2021-22 season.
Next season will be Spalding’s 37th and final season in that role for the NBA. Wilson, the NBA’s original manufacturer, will also provide game balls for the WNBA, the G League and, when it begins, the Basketball Africa League.
The WNBA will switch to the Wilson ball in 2022.
Leather used for the basketballs will continue to come from the same provider, and the new balls will keep the same eight-panel configuration and performance specifications as the ones currently used. NBA players will also have a role in approving, developing and refining the new ball, the league said.