[sublinear]

I also feel like material fatigue would affect the ball's performance over time in ways not experienced by ordinary balls.

i.e. It doesn't need air, but does it bounce the same after thousands of bounces and hours of sunlight? Is the wear evenly distributed when left in the sun but not used? What about when it is used, but damage occurs for other reasons?

[thelock85]

I think this is a valid concern for pro, semi-pro, collegiate and competitive recreational players. Not so sure for the millions of other players who play with crappy, uneven, knotted, too rough/smooth “ordinary” balls everyday. Of course that doesn’t mean there is a market for it.

[sublinear]

I don't believe ordinary balls would experience the same level of degradation simply because the pressurized air inside is most of what makes it bounce

[doubled112]

I've had basketballs fail. Suddenly your ball has a lump. Happens after a hard hit sometimes.

On the 3D printed one, I'd assume the opposite problem. A hard hit causes a dead spot or actual indent.

Both make it hard to play with.