I’ve read mixed messages online about whether or not the ball the NBA uses is actually the same as the retail ball so I’ve decided that I’m going to settle the matter once and for all.
I just obtained this game used ball that has touched the hands of all stars and hall of famers this past NBA season. I decided not to show what team it is from just in case I get someone in trouble but I assure you the team name ends with an “S”
I have attended a few shoot arounds and training camps in recent years so I’ve gotten a chance to see the balls first hand and initially I thought they were totally different. The first and last NBA leather game ball I purchased was in 2006 when the NBA planned on switching to the Synthetic Leather ball and the balls I have handled (insert joke) during camp felt a lot different to me.
Here is a pic of my 2006 leather ball.
Notice how slick and flat the pebbling is on the leather.
During the last camp I attended, the balls were brand new and I immediately noticed these differences
- The dryness of the leather
- Pebbling was more pronounced
So after that experience, I thought for certain that the balls were different than the retail ball I had purchased.
However, I looked at some pictures online of the current retail NBA game balls and they looked similar to the ones I had seen at training camp so I bought one off Amazon to see for myself
There was a big stink on Amazon because buyers thought the ball was fake because the @nba Twitter handle wasn’t on the ball. Turns out Spalding didn’t add the handle until 3/30/2015 for the retail ball. My guess is that most of the buyers thought the ball would feel like a soft plush Evo, not an unbroken in leather ball with no cushioning.
Here is a shot of a brand new retail ball 
You can see how much more pronounced the pebbling is as well as the lack of shine on the leather versus the 2006 ball
Even the channels are put together as well as the game used ball
Below: retail
Below: game used 
After I received the retail ball from Amazon I realized that the ball is the same as the ball the NBA uses. During the season, after tens of thousands of shots, the ball wears down and looks and feels like my 2006 leather ball.
Here is what a full season of practices, 82 games plus a few rounds of playoffs makes the ball above look like .
I’m not sure when Spalding changed the leather on the game ball but at the end of the day, or season if you will, it ends up with the same look and feel as the 2006 leather ball I have.
Should you go out and buy the Official Game Ball just because the pros use it ? Probably not because the channels aren’t very wide, the cushioning behind the panels is almost non existent and it takes a long time to break in especially when nobody wants to play with the unbroken in leather ball when a plush, easy to shoot Evo is laying around. Even NBA rookie Shabazz Napier said the biggest adjustment going from college to the NBA was the ball.
That being said, nothing beats the smell and feel of genuine leather.
schwollo.com 
Great article man!!if you ever see gl7(leather ball from molten),the ball feel smoother and shinier than nba leather ball,and the leather itself(gl7)are much more thin
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I didn’t get chance to although I did shop around for it . Not too pricey for a leather ball .
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And sorry I was wrong earlier about the NBA ball vs retail
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No problem man!!keep up with a good article
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This was a Houston Rockets team ball LOL
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Hey great article. I have a quick question the retail balls most often comes with these indentations on certain portions of the pebbles of the ball. I always assumed it was caused by the display box it is held in. So I was just wondering if the actual nba game ball you have has this as well. It would be less visible obviously since the pebbles are flattened from use but I think it can still be seen if looked at carefully
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You mean the lines from the box? Actual NBA balls don’t come in boxes so no lines
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Is there a way to show you a picture as I have one. But basically a line of the pebbles are indented on certain areas I was wondering if it’s the box that causes this. Meaning if the actual nba ball has this then it’s not the box
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Dm me on Instagram or twitter @schwollo
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Ok I did Instagram
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So, I ended up buying one of these from Amazon(ship and sold from Amazon) and also Dick’s sporting goods. The Dick’s ball came in the usual cardboard box cutout and Amazon did not. Oddly enough, they both seem to be shipped directly from Spalding(shipping label indicates this). The Amazon ball is slightly smaller than 29.5″ and slicker…whereas Dick’s feels normal sized and grippier. I put the Amazon ball in the cardboard cutout that the Dick’s ball came in, and sure enough – it’s smaller. Amazon ball has code U: GR whereas Dick’s is U: GO. Not sure WTH is going on with that. Returning the Amazon ball.
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That’s weird. Were they both fully inflated ? You should ask Spaulding and amazon what the deal is.
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Yup. I normalized them to both 8 psi. I’ll email spalding and ask what’s up. Other amazon reviews state that the ball doesnt come with the cardboard cutout either. Something’s definitely off.
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Very odd indeed.
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I emailed spalding and got this response. I guess I very much prefer U:GO from Dick’s. If you ball often, you can definitely tell its a little smaller.
“UGO and UGR demonstrate a month difference in their production date. There should be no significant differences. Amazon and Dick’s are both authorized retailers of this item. The same item is sold through both. There is a small tolerance on size for basketballs which should be at or close to 29.5 inches in circumference. It should not be noticeable. “
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Wow that’s interesting. Thanks for the info! How do you like the ball itself
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Bounce is like a dream. Consistant. Definitely my favorite ball. I’ve always thought the EVO and other composites were too grippy indoors. Unfortunately, everyone at 24 hr fitness loves the Evo.
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You’ll never get anyone to play with the nba ball when an evo is around. Typical person thinks it’s a trash ball. I’ve tried several times haha
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@408 hey I had a quick question. As I said earlier I would receive the balls in those display boxes like the dicks sporting goods one. These boxes would actually press down and leave small indentations on the pebbles of the leather. Now that amazon sends it in a bag I was wondering if you could do a quick visual check going over the panels of the ball to see if you see this. Thanks in advance
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I just got one from amazon. The pebbles is far less defined. I assume from just rolling around in the box. As you broke it in, did it become the same in terms of feel and performance as the dicks one? Or is it always gonna be more slick?
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The nba ball will always feel more slick than any synthetic ball out there. It does get better with wear and will lose those pebbles but it will always feel slick until you sweat.
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Yeah I know. What I mean’t was the pebbles from Amazon are already far less defined and as a result feels much for smooth than previous ones I’ve had. What I’m asking is if the amazon one will ever get to a feel of a broken in nba ball from say dicks, where you can still feel the grips of the pebbling.
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Yea it should. The pebbling gets worn down and becomes smooth over time anyways so you should be fine.
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love this
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I love the feel, the look and smell of this genuine leather gameball and I’ve already purchased three of these balls from Amazon. My three sons are truly amazed by playing with this basketball.
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I know this is a review of a nba used ball. I want to know why you cannot find a NBA game used ball anywhere? They keep those on lock and key. I want to see what those are made of, inside and out. Every since the new balls been in the league, three point shooting has skyrocketed, similarly to the MLB HR era. The only thing that changed was the ball. I bet you can’t find a NCAA March Madness tournament game used ball over that same time frame either.
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I found a few on eBay ..one from the Kings and this one and I don’t really look often. Not impossible you just have to look. It isn’t the ball, my ball is game used and it’s the same as the other one I have. You can’t make a basketball go in a basket any easier than a regular ball. You can change the COR of a baseball or golf ball though to make it go farther. Three point shooting has skyrocketed bc they shoot more threes yet make about the same percentage as years past plus players practice it more since analytics show the value in it vs a two or long two.
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