The Rock Basketball Review
Written by schwollo
Small prescence huge performance for a great price.
I came across this ball and company about 2002 when the company I worked for sponsored the BCA tournament and they gave us a few corp guys a few balls for fun since our logo was on it. I used it outdoors for about 6 years until it accidently got run over by my car. It was a fantastic ball that I never used indoors so when I came across this ball on anaconda sports website for 24.95 since it was an overrun so I decided to give it a try since it had been nearly a decade and it sported some new technology. Normally the ball is 39.99 and you can request badging I believe.
The Rock is the official ball of the McDonald’s All American game as well as some college divisions. It isn’t as well known as Spalding, Wilson, and Nike or even Baden or Molten but they created a fantastic ball that is better in quality and feel than most of the big boys. Look at these beautiful seams without excess glue or extra overages of paneling. The channels are one piece and not glued together to give the ball a consistent feel and additional durability.
The main technology in The Rock is called Core to Cover but after reading the website I still have no idea what it means . Here is what the official site says:
- This composite ball feels and plays like leather.
- Super tacky feel.
- Reinforced double ply Butyl Bladder for maximum air retention 100% Nylon wound for excellent shape retention and durability.
- Exclusive patented sponge rubber carcass layer for extreme softness and handling improvement.
- New Premium Grade Reinforced Composite material for Superior Durability.
- Scuff Resistant and NO Break-in Needed – Ready For Game Play!
- Unique Deep Pebble Channel design for best feel and grip.
Whatever C2C is, it does its job well bc I loved playing with this ball. It required no break in time at all and was already the perfect amount of tackiness out of the box. Overly tacky balls stick to the fingers too much and pick up loads of dirt this diminishing the overall grip of the ball while slippery balls they require break in are just frustrating to play with until they are worn in . Yes I’m talking to you Wilson Evolution.
The channels of the ball are wider than the Evo and about the same width as the channels on the Wilson Solution ball. Come to think of it, the Rock is what you’d have if the Evo and Solution had a baby . It has the feel and channels of the Solution but with a cover that absorbs like a broken in Evo with the absorption of the Solution . Pretty amazing ball if you ask me.
As you can see above the Rock has nice deep pebbling to give the ball more grip and feel. Pebbling is definitely deeper than the Evo and can be felt when handling the ball.
Regarding pricing of the ball, Anaconda sports can be found on ebates or befrugal and there are 10% off coupon codes as well. Shipping is free sometimes although I did pay the $10 shipping fee. For under 40 dollars you get a ball that is made better, feels better and outperforms the big boys.
If you slapped a Wilson or Spalding logo on the ball you’d add a good $25 to the price considering Evos retail around $50. But for 25 bucks this ball is a steal !
Fantastic ball at a great price with great build quality . Can’t beat that !!
schwollo.com 
Hey man, I came across your site after searching for reviews on the Soldier IX and the Rock ball, great work I must say!
I wondered if the new Rock ball you bought will last on outdoor surfaces? In Asia, we are not as fortunate as you guys in the states, availability of indoor courts are much scarce over here.
Appreciate your feedback in advance!
Keep up the good work! I am a fan already.
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Haha that’s funny ! The rock I bought is indoors only but I know they have outdoor specific balls as well. The cover isn’t as soft as the indoor but it will last longer. I’m not sure why my first rock ball was but pretty sure it was an indoor outdoor ball and it was durable. Hope that helps and I hope you keep reading! Thanks !
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Thanks for the quick reply man! Appreciated! Will definitely keep reading 🙂
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I just ordered one of these. Extra stock logo + 10% discount + shipping + tax was just under $40.
Will report back with my opinions in a couple weeks after I get a chance to play with it.
I was considering this, the Baden Elite, or the Wilson Solution.. Considering I can’t find any of these in any store around me to feel, I went with the best priced ball. I don’t like the new tf-1000 or the Evo.
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Nice! New tf is crappy loo
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I received the ball last Friday and I got the chance to give it a run over the weekend. This comparison will be primarily against a well-used TF-1000 purchased ~3.5 years ago, with some Evo sprinkled in.
Overall the ball is very nice, and I’ll say confidently it’s one of the best indoor ball you can purchase today, with the kicker that it’s under $40 shipped.
The cover is pretty leathery feeling, but a tad rubbery. Hard to describe the difference to the TF1K.. they both feel leathery but a different kind of leathery. The Rock is perfectly tacky out of the box (more so than the TF1K) and the pebbling is deep. My hand is 9″ thumb to pinkie, and I can palm this ball thanks to the tack. It’s not as soft/squishy as the Wilson Evo, which is a good thing, and is on-par with the TF. I love the feel of the cover by itself, and it’s more absorbent than the 1K.
The channels on The Rock are wide but the black channel parts themselves are concave, making the channels overall feel deeper. The TF1K doesn’t use pebbled channels, and they aren’t concave, so the channels don’t feel as deep. Personally I prefer the 1K channel feel since it’s what I’m used to, but I like The Rock over say, the Wilson Evo. It’s a compromise here for me as I prefer shallow feeling channels, but some break-in will help.
The channel seams are exquisite. Very smooth with virtually no gaps or extra glue. Far superior to the TF1K in this department, and pretty much every other ball I’ve seen.
The Rock is heavier than the TF1K I have by about 13 grams. I *think* I can feel the difference when handling it, but the scale doesn’t lie. 13 grams is 13 paperclips, so it’s barely anything regardless. It’s heavier than the worn indoor/outdoor Wilson NCAA Premier ball I have by about 4 grams. My scale isn’t calibrated, but all three balls weigh less than the “official” NBA ball.
During play, The Rock is great. Easy to control, consistent bounce, and overall quality performance. Will take some getting used to the deeper channels (I almost exclusively play with the TF-1000 detailed above in game, and the NCAA Premier which has even shallower channels than the TF1K), but I’m very pleased with the purchase.
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Nice review! Glad the ball worked out for you. tF is still my goto but the rock is great especially for the price. I like it a lot more than the evo. Super small company that made a great product
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is there any difference between the c2c rock ball and the mb 4000 ball ?? (i see in description that they are both mg-4000 model but one is more expensive than the other) And, is this ball much diff then the wilson evo??? yes, i hate the heavy dense spongy ball of the evo ..missing the old tf1000!
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Mg4000 is the same thing as the c2c. 4000 is the c2c but some have logos on them. It doesn’t feel spongy like the evo more like a tf but with a different cover . (Old Tf still my goto)
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Agreed. They are the same. And it’s not squishy like the Evo. It’s more similar in shape to the Evo compared to the TF-1000, but the cover feel and squish is more like the TF-1000. Most people I come across agree that the old TF-1000s are still the best.. but they’re gone, so we gotta find the next best. The Rock is in contention, but there will be compromises.
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Spalding had a limited edition run of the old tf last year. They charged 80 for it (I grabbed one). Don’t know why they changed it .
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i hear they discontinued because the manufacturer had closed down…
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Not sure but wouldn’t be hard to find another company to make them with the same formula. Plus they made that limited run of them last year . My guess is profits
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I do have to say after using this ball, it not much different than the wilson evo!! the weight, size (ball feels a bit smaller than regulation) and material. Seriously, i cant complain for the price, it is way cheaper than the evo but identical. NOw that i have that down, i might want to try the molten ball gg7. any thoughts on that ball?
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I think it’s a little better myself. Little firmer cushion in the panels, little tackier cover too. I haven’t tried the molten ball but lots of ppl
Have suggested it. I would but I have way to many balls right now lol
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Be careful, some (all?) molten balls are FIBA spec size, which is different than NBA/NCAA in the states.
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You got a link to buy this ball??
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http://www.bsnsports.com/the-rock-c2c
Use code g7 for 15% off plus free shipping on $49 or more
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So it’s not $25 anymore? Btw Nike Elite Championship or The Rock??? Which one would u chose??
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I like the rock better. Nike balls are nice but a bit hard . Rock is a
Nice Blend
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How long do these basketball at least last ? Coz I’ve been getting some basketball that’s cost $2X (Spalding Grip Control) at Walmart, and they only last like half year.
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Grip control is 30-40 ball so not 2x as much . Are you playing outdoors in it?
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Nah , nv played outside but it didn’t last really long now it’s really slippery , but I remember when I got a at Walmart it was only $2X not more than $30 I remember
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Oh I thought you meant 2 times not $2xx.
Grip control feels good at first but picks up everything and gets hard and slick . I used sub 30 priced balls for outdoors. Yes the rock will last longer than the grip control.
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So I always use the wipes( alcohol ) to clean the basketball, would it make the basketball gets old faster ???
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Yes don’t use alcohol to clean a basketball it dries out the leather
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Shit , so I’ve been messing up my basketballs… But if The Rock and Wilson Evolution u would definitely get The Rock right ?
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I like the rock more. Evo grts slick spots when a little wet and some dead spots
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Which ball is your go-to ball??
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Original tf1000. The rock, Wilson solution and official NBA ball in that order .
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where do i enter the code?
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This link is several years old so I’m not sure if it even works anymore
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How are u supposed to clean a basketball? Just water ?
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Yea just a wet towel to get surface dirt off. Leather cleaner or something similar might work but I’ve never tried. I keep indoor balls only for indoors
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How do u remove the scuffs that’s on a basketball?
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You can’t.. Scuffs are slight tears in the ball cover.
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Just got the Mc D’s The Rock from BSN sports. The construction is definitely more consistent than the EVOs but the wet handling is much worse. The Rock has a super tacky grip. I don’t know if its a coating, but I can palm the ball with either hand using just by thumb and middle finger in the seams or across a panel. I can “just” palm my EVO with my whole hand along the seams. The rock is almost too sticky. I does bounce nicer than the EVO.
I played a game of 21 and no one could shoot with it when it got sweat on it. Does it wear off?
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Yes it will wear off just give it a few games.
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went to bsnsports and found there are several rock balls. I’m looking for indoor balls.
what is the difference between ROCK GAME BALL GRAB BAG $29.99 and rock c2c $49.99
Thanks
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It’s the same ball but the grab bag balls have logos on them which I don’t mind myself
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Thanks
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C2C stands for core to cover technology. It incorporates the latest technology from the bladder and carcass out to the cover.
Now you know!
Les Lombardi
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Thanks
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Have you ever used the Rock XR2-4000? It’s much cheaper but I can’t find any discernible differences other than it doesn’t advertise C2C technology
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I have not .is the cover the same? Usually the covers are cheaper and or harder feeling as you go down in price.
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My C2C was stolen (while playing with all guys that know me and know that it’s my ball) so I’m tempted to try the cheaper version.
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That sucks ! I’ve lost a few tf1000 s
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Being a basketball athlete, I must say the rock basketball competes with the Wilson evolution. Even though wilson has gained popularity due to excessive use in schools and colleges, and also in coaching centers, the rock performs almost similar. Especially the feel, size, and bounce is incredibly good. I would highly recommend going for it.
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Agreed !
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