Wilson Sporting Goods – a famous sporting goods company as well as NBA ball supplier – has redesigned a traditional basketball with a quite unusual prototype. It has a quality that should not be underestimated: it never deflates.

With its debut during the first round of the AT&T Slam Dunk Contest last Feb. 18, the “airless” ball designed by the U.S. company leaves one reflecting – as it consists of hundreds of hexagonal holes – on how technologies are capable of revolutionizing even the most classic and traditional objects.

“We are so proud to unveil Wilson’s 3D Airless Prototype basketball as a physical manifestation of our continued commitment to sport innovation. This is just one example of how our team approaches the game and why we are the number one basketball company in the world today,” Kevin Murphy said – General Manager, Team Sports at Wilson.

Partnering with a company called EOS, the basketball has been designed using an additive 3D printing technology. The latter employs a powdered resin which is hardened by a laser to create ultra-thin stacked layers, returning even more details. 

Capable of matching the technical specifications of a traditional basketball, including its weight, size and rebound, the new proposal eliminates the need to be inflated. It does so with its transparent black outer lattice and eight panel-like “lobes” with a familiar seam structure. In addition, air passing through the holes increases the spring effect and makes it usable on basketball courts. The ball can be made in different shades, even though the prototype has been realized all black.