The new synthetic NBA basketball has been a bust with players, but it’s not getting a boost from the scientific community either.
The University of Texas-Arlington physics department made some damning discoveries of Spalding’s new ball when it studied the differences between the old leather-bound ball and its replacement, made from a microfiber composite. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban asked the researchers to conduct the study.
“When water came in contact with both balls, the leather ball absorbed it more quickly and was more easily gripped,” Jim Horwitz, chair of the physics department, told the Morning News. “We suspect that will be the biggest difference in the physical characteristics of the balls.”
The university’s study suggests that a common complaint made by players–the ball gets more slippery than the leather version–is valid. Tests also showed that the new ball, when dropped from a height of 5 feet, bounced an average of 4 inches lower than the old ball.
The researchers also plan to conduct friction tests to see how the ball reacts to hardwood flooring and human skin, as well as spin control. “I was curious what the facts are,” Cuban told the paper about his reason for requesting the unpaid study.
“Rather than speculating, I asked the profs to actually do a test, to give us real data. The results support there is a definite difference,” Cuban said.