Wilson to replace Spalding as official NBA, WNBA game ball

The NBA is taking it back to the old school.

The league will partner with Wilson to supply game balls beginning in the 2021-22 season, the league announced Wednesday, ending a 38-year deal with Spalding.

The new multi-year partnership will make Wilson the official game ball of the NBA, WNBA, G League, and Basketball Africa League. The WNBA will debut the new ball in 2022.

Spalding - which has produced the NBA's game balls since 1983 - and the league mutually agreed to part ways, sources told Yahoo's Chris Haynes. Wilson was the NBA's supplier for 37 years prior to that, dating back to the birth of the league in 1946.

Wilson will manufacture the game balls using the same materials, eight-panel configuration, and performance specifications as current balls. The NBA and its players will work jointly with Wilson to develop and approve the new game ball.

Wilson is also the official game ball of the NCAA Tournament.