K.J. Martin Unveils Wilson’s Airless Basketball During NBA Dunk Contest

The black lattice-work design K.J. Martin holds in his hands during the NBA’s Slam Dunk Contest on Feb. 18 is still a basketball. It’s just an airless version.

Wilson created the 3D Airless Prototype Basketball, designed to bounce like a traditional ball, unveiling it to the world via Martin’s dunk contest showcase.

“When I first heard it, I didn’t know what to expect,” Martin says. “Once I actually saw the ball in person, it was crazy. I didn’t expect a basketball with holes to bounce and feel like a normal leather basketball.”

The 3D-printed ball comes fully playable, nearly fitting the performance specifications of a regulation basketball, including in weight, size and bounce. But the lattice work, in eight panel-like “lobes” doesn’t need inflation. Dr. Nadine Lippa, innovation manager at Wilson, says the challenge was figuring out the lattice geometries and materials needed to absorb energy.

“The materials with high energy return were often not durable enough for our application,” she says. “The adequate method-mechanical-material combination that bounced like a basketball was elusive to the team and there were so many additive technologies to sift through and understand. It took us several years to find the right combination.”

The turning point was when the designers at Wilson Labs in Chicago figured out the key material properties and stabilizing mechanical attributes needed for a durable, playable latticed basketball. “Before this achievement, all our prototypes either broke or failed to bounce.”

The new airless prototype is composed of a laser sintered powder of a proprietary custom elastomeric material, suited specifically for the basketball’s needs.

The concept of creating an airless ball may still rest in the prototype stage, but don’t expect it to remain there. All traditional balls eventually lose air and deflate. An airless design requires no pump or needle, plus the additive process allows for quicker updates when needed and less waste during manufacturing. Wilson wants to offer an alternative.

Martin likes the idea that one day the airless concept could make having a basketball—and keeping it in working order—more accessible to more kids. “You don’t have to worry about using it outside, you don’t have to worry about popping or deflating,” he says.

When the airless ball makes its first appearance, it will do so thanks to Martin. “It is crazy to see in person,” Martin says. “If you are sitting close up, you’ll see what it looks like. I think it is going to be a different experience for the people in the arena versus on TV, but it should be good both ways.”

Even during his dunk contest preparation, Martin says he hasn’t let his teammates see the ball. While the feel is different than the leather of a NBA ball, Martin says it doesn’t change his dunking plans, as he can still grip it, dribble it and do his normal dunks. Martin’s excited for NBA players and fans to see the reveal. “They get to see it and have their first experience like how I did,” he says.

The Wilson 3D Airless Prototype Basketball may have its true global “first experience” during the dunk contest, but Lippa says new versions should be on their way. “We also want the next iteration to be informed by fan and athlete insights,” she says, “so we are excited to see how the dunk contest is received.”