No break-in ball for FIBA World Cup

MANILA, Philippines — FIBA has unveiled a brand new Molten basketball with innovative features to be used at the World Cup in China this year and the revolutionary third generation of the signature 12-panel model will make its PBA debut when the Commissioner’s Cup opens on May 19.

It took over a year for Molten to develop the BG5000 basketball with national teams from Greece, Italy, Croatia, Puerto Rico, Switzerland and Japan testing the latest iteration on the court before giving the thumbs-up for production. “The highly-valuable and crucial input of players was sought after and factored into the process,” said Molten, a FIBA partner since 1984. “Following extensive testing, the ball received unanimously positive feedback, paving the way for it to be manufactured.”

At least 100 BG5000 basketballs will be distributed by Molten’s Philippine affiliate Sonak Corp. to PBA teams by April 15 so players are able to familiarize with the feel of genuine premium leather that is a major feature. Unlike basketballs that are coated, the BG5000 shows an authentic natural leather surface texture which allows for more controllability without breaking in and has a water absorptive quality. It is less slippery with wet hands and immediately playable. “The texture top of original leather is wider by 95 percent compared with a pebble surface for better grip while having minimum but enough texture bottom for ideal sweat-wiping effect,” said Molten. A high-foamed structure with an added backing layer of 35 percent makes for a softer handle and easier control.

Molten is rolling out BG5000 basketballs with a dragon design that is exclusively for the coming World Cup. The elements of “heart,” “basket,” “ball” and “court” are incorporated through illustrations over the body of the dragon on the ball. The printed portion of the basketball was reduced by 25 percent to create more space for a better grip. Additionally, the branded logos give a tackier hold than the transfer printing method. The colors of the basketball reflect a high level of contrast for better visibility, eliminating artificiality to match with the leather hues. 

There are five variations of the new basketball – the BG5000 premium leather, premium composite leather, two models of the composite polyurethane leather and rubber. The premium leather with the World Cup design will not be sold in the market as it will be exclusively used for competition. Only the rubber and composite leather models with the World Cup design will be available for sale.  

FIBA president Horacio Muratore and FIBA secretary-general Andreas Zagklis unveiled the World Cup basketball the day before the recent draw in Shenzhen. Zagklis said the new ball “offers an improved performance level compared to past models and captures the look and feel of the World Cup … we look forward to seeing the world’s best players and teams amaze us by showing what they can do with this ball when the highest stakes are on the line.”

Kiyofumi Tamiaki, president/CEO of the Hiroshima-based Molten Corp., said the World Cup is the “perfect stage” for the debut of the “next generation” basketball. “We are pleased to provide a much-improved game ball for the most important international basketball event in the world,” said Tamiaki. “The new official game ball features unique technologies while maintaining its traditional and authentic look. It is our conviction that the real game happens only when impeccable balls enable players to reach their full performance and push performance to the limit.”