Customer Reviews

Wilson Evolution Game Ball Basketball

5 star:		(74)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

When choosing a basketball to buy everyone tries to figure out which ball is the best and they read reviews to figure out which ball they will be bringing to the gym. I currently own the Wilson Evolution, Wilson Solution, and Spalding Top-Flight 1000pro and have previously owned the NBA game ball by Spalding. The prices are: NBA Game Ball-100$, Spalding TF 1000pro-60$, Wilson Solution-60$, and Wilson Evolution-40/50$ depending where you go. I have played a few times with the Nike Tournament Ball and that is about 50$ as well. Each ball has its different advantages and disadvantages I will try and help describe each one. DO NOT USE THESE OUTDOOR!!

NBA Game Ball Description:
Out of the package this ball is very slick and handles almost like a rubber ball due to the full grain leather material it is made out of but it still feels really nice leaving your hands when you shoot because of the perfect weight. At first it will be difficult to handle and play to your full skill level, however there is a reason it is the NBA game ball, after maybe 1-2 months of play (depending on how much you play) the leather will start to break in and the grip feels better and the ball isn't as hard so you'll be able to handle it MUCH better and that's when you start to realize why this is the official NBA game ball. So if you have the time, you play at least 3x a week, and have patience this ball is great after a few months of play but still pricey at 100$.

Spalding Top-Flight 1000pro Description:
One of the great things about composite material is that it requires no break-in period to be a good ball and the TF 1000 is made out of top of the line composite leather. Out of the packaging this ball will feel great to play with and you'll find a lot of people at the gyms will love it and it will be the game ball. The ball does break-in quite a bit more and you'll notice a change in color and it feels better to play with but it still is an amazing ball out of the package. It feels great leaving the hands and it actually is made with deeper channels which adds a bit more spin and control while dribbling. The grip is one of the best available although it does feel a bit sticky so you may or may not like that. I thought it was just fine but did hear some complaints. The ball feels a little hard but nothing like the unbroken-in NBA ball. Another complaint I've heard is that people think the ball isn't official size so I decided to measure it and it is 29.5" so it just feels smaller than the other options. (I believe it is due to the deep channels) This ball is the second most expensive at 60$ so if you have the money its well worth it.

Wilson Solution Description:
This ball is the Official NCAA Tournament ball and is made out of top line composite leather. The Solution basketball is the Wilson version of the TF-1000. The main differences between the two balls are that the Solution is a little bit of a softer feel than the TF and also the Solution doesn't have the deep channels. The grip on the Solution isn't as sticky as the TF but still has one of the best available grips on the market. It handles well and feels great when leaving the hands. I've gotten the size complaint that it feels smaller just like the TF but it still is 29.5". Other than the differences I've noted read the description of the TF and that is what you'll find the Solution to be like as well. This ball did wear out on me the fastest and I actually use it as my outdoor ball now since I have so many options for indoor and its held up very nicely outside surprisingly I still do NOT recommend using it outdoor ever if it is your primary indoor ball. The price is also the same at 60$ so if you have the money it's all personal preference between the TF and Solution.

Wilson Evolution Description:
This is my personal favorite ball to play with. It is made of the Composite Leather material but provides a much softer feel than the TF and Solution which is what I like a lot. It feels amazing leaving the hands and handles perfectly. The grip breaks in even more than when it first is used and only gets better. Right out of the package it actually provides a very similar feel to a broken-in NBA ball. I've heard very little complaints about it and is widely accepted as game ball when I bring it to the gym. It doesn't feel small like the TF and Solution and has a very different feeling grip which I think is much better when I have it in my hands. I think it also looks a lot nicer with the bright orange look and the color never fades. It hasn't started to wear out at all on me and I'm a 6x a week baller mainly using this ball for about 2 years now. I absolutely love this ball and highly recommend it for anybody looking for an indoor ball! It's a must have for ballers. Best part about it is the price at around 40$ it's an absolutely amazing deal. Even if all the top basketballs were the same price I would still choose this one over all it's competitors.

Nike Tournament Ball Description:
I've never owned the Nike Tournament Ball but I have played with it and intend on making it my next ball purchase. Through my experience it provides a feel very similar to the Evolution and is another of my favorites. The seams are designed differently. (The panels are designed like the NBA Game Ball that the NBA tried in the 06 season but recalled) At 50$ I believe this is another great deal but I haven't owned one or played enough with one to give a full review.
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When it comes to purchasing time the two factors are going to be money and most importantly personal preference! Each of the balls I reviewed are top quality balls that your going to like a lot but there will be one that you fall in love with just like I did with the Evolution.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND going into a sports store and getting a feel for the balls before purchasing. The stores that have the most balls available are Sport Chalet and Sports Authority.
Hope this helped

I play basketball regularly, indoor and outdoor, in organized leagues, tournaments, in pick-up games, and for fun. I have played with many basketballs over the years, from Moltens to almost the entire line of Spaldings to almost the entire line of Wilsons. The Evolution is by far the best ball I've ever used. I have been using the Evolution that I currently own for over 7 years now, strictly indoors. It has always had superb grip, a wonderful soft feeling that you dont get with any other brands, and just great feel when it rolls off your fingers. In almost every open gym court I go to, where everyone brings their own ball, my Evolution is always the preferred ball picked by everyone to use.

I love this ball it is the best indoor ball I have ever had the pleasure to play with. Way better than those infusions and other synthetic leather balls. The reason this ball is so great is because of the grip of the ball. Very soft in your hands, you feel in control the entire time. The ball will never get away from you. The grip also never deteriorates over time, that is unless you decide to use the ball outdoors. If your looking for a good indoor ball than this is the ball for you.

I've bought nothing else but Wilson Evolution basketballs for the last 10 years or so, and as the previous reviewer said, my ball is always used for the game ball. Great weight, feel, grip, and bounce. Will never buy another make/brand. I buy one for the winter indoor season, and it holds up well being used 2 to 3 times a week, then I bring it outdoors for the summer, and it usually lasts the entire summer (on pavement, 2 to 3 times a week) but after that its done. I don't have a problem with it as you cant expect a ball with a soft(er) touch to hold up on pavement. Overall I am extremely happy with it.

This is the best basketball I've ever played with. It's reasonably priced, has a great feel and works indoors or out. It's got a grippy feel that actually seems to get better once it's been broken in a bit, so it actually improves over time. It's designed as an indoor ball, but works great on finished concrete courts. When I take it to my regular Saturday morning games, it's always chosen as game ball. It would likely get roughed up quickly on asphalt, but for the price, you can afford it. I've owned five in a row and wouldn't own any other ball.

I agree with everyone else that this is one of the best basketballs. However when I bought it from Amazon I received one with a noticeably different surface which was very slick, without the cushiony grip that makes it so great. Also the name "Wilson" was not outlined in gold which is different from the authentic ones I have seen. My suspicion is that I received a factory dud which someone sold to me as brand new. So my recommendation is not to buy from Amazon at all. If you do, make sure it has the grippy surface you expected.

I play basketball regularly, indoor and outdoor, in organized leagues, tournaments, in pick-up games, and for fun. I have played with many basketballs over the years, from Moltens to almost the entire line of Spaldings to almost the entire line of Wilsons. The Evolution is by far the best ball I've ever used. I have been using the Evolution that I currently own for over 7 years now, strictly indoors. It has always had superb grip, a wonderful soft feeling that you dont get with any other brands, and just great feel when it rolls off your fingers. In almost every open gym court I go to, where everyone brings their own ball, my Evolution is always the preferred ball picked by everyone to use.

The Wilson Evolution is a great indoor basketball at a good price. I have always preferred wilson basketballs to other brands. My old ball was getting worn out (Wilson Solution), so I decided to get an evolution this time. I play basketball 1 to 3 times per week, and an evolution is used most of the time (a couple of other people also have them).

My old solution ball would get used some of the time, but it gets dirty extremely quickly (after 2 or 3 nights of playing). The solution costs more and is a great basketball, but it does require cleaning. Other people seem to like the evolution better than the solution.

My top 2 choices of indoor basketball are the evolution and the solution. The main reasons I choose the evolution was it seems to be the people's choice with the groups I play with, and it costs less than the solution.

If I had it to do over again, I would buy this ball again. I have played with many different indoor basketballs and some are comparable to the feel and quality of the Wilson evolution, but none are better. In my opinion it is the best ball you can buy at this price. You can pay more but you won't find any better.

I needed two new indoor only basketballs so I purchased the Wilson evolution and the Wilson solution NCCAA game balls. They both are excellent and in my opinion are the two bet basketballs on the market. However, after playing with both of them in games my personal preference between the two is the solution game ball. You really can't go wrong with either one. It's all about personal preference. Give them both a try before you make a purchase. Good luck

I like many others read reviews of the Spalding TF-1000 ZK Basketball and this Wilson Evolution ball before deciding on my purchase. This ball does have a spongy feel to it and is light, but in a good way. In contrast, the Spalding TF-1000 ZK was "hard" and "sticky" but not in a bad way. Both are great balls, it's a matter of personal preference.

One advice though, make sure you put enough air into it. I recommend getting a pump with PSI gauge. I tried pumping this ball with a "small" volleyball pump and it wouldn't inflate enough, I thought maybe it was a defective ball. However, after using a decent sized pump, the ball inflated quickly. And because I wanted to be precise, I used a gauge to get between the 7-9 LBS mark.

If you're unsure between the Spalding TF-1000 ZK or the Wilson Evolution and have not played with either, go try them out in store. Reading the reviews will provide you an individual's opinion, but the feel in person will give you the definitive answer. They ARE much different in the feel and weight. In the gym many decided to use the Spalding over my Wilson but maybe it was because the ball was brand new and hadn't been "broken-in".

I don't think you can go wrong with either ball but would recommend you try them both before deciding on your purchase.