Whether shooting a casual game of hoops or gearing up for a real competition, serious ballers need a basketball they can rely on. When comparing Nike vs. Wilson basketballs, you may wonder which ball gives you the most bang for your buck.
Despite their higher price point, Wilson basketballs reign over Nike basketballs on most professional courts. While Nike basketballs may cost a little less, Wilson basketballs offer a higher performance level that most athletes and coaches consider well worth the added price.
But don’t slap down your money just yet. We’ll help you understand in detail the numerous differences between Wilson and Nike basketballs so that you can make an informed decision, focusing mainly on popularity, price, and quality.
Are Nike Basketballs More Popular Than Wilson?
Those who follow sports news might believe Wilson the less popular choice, due in no small part to the recent controversy when they unveiled their much-hated Evo NXT ball during the 2022 NCAA season. Everyone from college athletes to NBA stars found everything from its grip to its bright orange design entirely unlikable.
Furthermore, Nike remains the far more profitable company of the two, banking approximately $44.5 billion in 2021, compared with Wilson’s earnings of just $518.9 million by even the highest estimates.
Remember, however, that Nike also sells a wide variety of popular sportswear, accounting for a large percentage of their profit margins. In reality, Wilson basketballs are popular than Nike balls by a decent margin. If we look at some of the balls from both brands on Dick’s Sporting Goods’ website, you will see that the average rating is a bit higher for Wilson.
| Nike Basketball | Avg. Rating | Wilson Basketball | Avg. Rating |
| Nike Elite Tournament | 4.3 / 5.0 | Wilson Official Evolution | 4.6 / 5.0 |
| Nike Elite Championship 8P 2.0 | 4.9 / 5.0 | Wilson Official Encore | 4.2 / 5.0 |
| Nike Elite All Court 8P 2.0 | 4.3 / 5.0 | Wilson Evolution 28.5” | 4.8 / 5.0 |
| Nike Giannis All-Court Basketball | 4.0 / 5.0 | Wilson NBA DRV Plus | 4.4 / 5.0 |
| Nike Total Avg. Rating | 4.4 / 5.0 | Wilson Total Avg. Rating | 4.5 / 5.0 |
If we take a more high-level approach and look at the best-sellers from three of the biggest e-commerce platforms (inclusive of other brands), you will see that Wilson makes up almost a quarter of these pages, while Nike basketballs don’t even make up 10%
| E-Commerce Platform | # Nike Best Sellers (%) | # Wilson Best Sellers (%) |
| Amazon | 1/50 (2%) | 6/50 (12%) |
| Dick’s Sporting Goods | 14/48 (29%) | 17/48 (35%) |
| Walmart | 0/77 (0%) | 18/77 (23%) |
| Total Weighted Average | 15/175 (9%) | 41/175 (23%) |
You will see that the biggest competitors on these best-seller pages are mainly Spalding and Nike, with Molten and Baden appearing as well. It seems to be a common theme that Nike falls short in popularity with their basketballs, even though they do have the biggest brand of all companies mentioned.
Lastly, it is worth noting that Wilson provides the NBA’s official game ball and has a number of other league partnerships as well:
- National Basketball Association (NBA)
- Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA)
- Jr. National Basketball Association (Jr. NBA)
- National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) March Madness
- Basketball Champions League (BCL)
- Basketball Africa League (BAL)
Nike, however, does not have any league partnerships where they are the game ball provider. Their presence in basketball comes with player endorsements and ancillary equipment.
Are Nike Basketballs More Expensive Than Wilson?
Nike basketballs run at a decent discount when compared to those of Wilson. Wilson has a larger selection of balls to choose from, ranging from their NBA official game ball all the way to their mini basketballs. Because of this, Wilson’s price range expands further in both directions than Nike’s price range. Additionally, we can see that the most common price for a Wilson basketball is higher than Nike.
One of the reasons why Wilson balls run at a more expensive rate is because of their partnership with the NBA. Their most expensive basketball at $200, the NBA Official Game basketball, is the perfect example of the company’s ability to charge a premium for its association to the professional league.
Nike Cost Metrics
- Price Range: $15 – $150
- Median Price: $35
- Mode Price: $15; $50
Wilson Cost Metrics
- Price Range: $11 – $200
- Median Price: $45
- Mode Price: $40; $45
Nike vs. Wilson: Average Basketball Price Comparison
You also might be wondering which brand is more expensive when comparing their most popular balls. So below, we’ve listed out the best-selling basketballs (according to their respective websites) to determine which brand is better when you’re ballin’ on a budget (Disclaimer: prices are subject to change).
| Nike Basketball Name | Price | Wilson Basketball Name | Price |
| Nike Everyday Playground | $20 | Wilson Luminous Performance | $30 |
| Nike Elite All-Court | $30 | Wilson NBA 75th Indoor Outdoor | $45 |
| Nike Elite Tournament | $50 | Wilson NCAA Limited | $45 |
| Nike Jordan Hyper Grip | $50 | Wilson Evolution | $80 |
| Nike Elite Championship | $70 | Wilson NCAA Evo NXT Official | $100 |
| Nike Total Avg. Price | $44 | Wilson Total Avg. Price | $60 |
As we can see, Wilson’s average price for their most popular balls is significantly higher than Nike’s. If you really do want a Wilson ball, but don’t have the funds to buy it at retail price, it might be worth looking at websites like eBay to see if they have used options in good condition and at a cheaper price.
Also interesting to see that the Wilson Evo NXT is one of the top-sellers, given the controversy it caused when it was first released.
Are Nike Basketballs Better Than Wilson?
Below, we’ve broken down each one and what its advantages are when used for basketball.
- Rubber – being the most inexpensive of the three materials, you would expect that it is not worth the purchase, but it is actually the material that holds up the best when being used on an outdoor court. If need be, it can also be used on an indoor court. The biggest detractor, though, is that they tend to lose their shape a bit quicker than basketballs made from leather (when used on their intended courts), and the rubber material can be rough on your hands after using the ball for a while.
- Composite Leather – a combo of leather and some other material (normally rubber or polyurethane), composite basketballs are normally made to withstand both indoor and outdoor courts. Their grip usually lasts longer than that of a rubber basketball, but they fall short of genuine leather when comparing grip and softness.
- Genuine Leather – while it is the most expensive material of all three, leather is the most preferred material amongst the professional players. The pros of having a leather basketball are that it is very soft on the hands and is the easiest to grip when using. Unfortunately, they are really only made to be used on an indoor court because outdoor courts will weather them in no time.
If we look at the most popular balls mentioned above, all of Wilson’s basketballs are made from composite leather. The same is true for most of Nike’s balls above, with the exception of its Everyday Playground ball that is made of rubber.
The next best comparison we can do is to look at both companies’ most expensive basketballs to see if their prices are justified based on the material used to make them.
Wilson’s NBA Official Game basketball is listed at $200 and made of genuine leather. Nike’s Jordan Premium basketball is listed at $150 but is made of 83% rubber. There are plenty of options out there for rubber basketballs at much lower price points, so the quality-to-price ratio is much lower than that of Wilson’s most expensive ball.
Nike’s rationale behind charging a premium is probably due to the fact that is has a Jordan logo on it. Jordan merchandise generally is held in high esteem, but when we focus on just basketballs, players are more so focused on the quality and utility than it being a Jordan product.
In Conclusion: Nike vs. Wilson Basketball
Overall, Wilson beats Nike in terms of who makes better basketballs. Not only do they have more options to select from, but they have better quality balls on average and have balls that abide by professional league standards. The only area where Nike beats Wilson is on price, but given how many more basketballs Wilson offers than Nike, you can pretty easily find a ball within your price range.