Basketball lovers in New Zealand may not be able to hoop for a while if they purchased Spalding Momentous EZ Assembly Portable Basketball System. According to several websites, there has been a recall of the product due to potential bodily injury. Product Safety reports the recall is due to the backboard potentially separating from the supporting pole, which can cause an injury. The cause is possibly a quality issue on some of the units sold, with the weld connecting the backboard to the supporting pole.
There have not yet been any injuries reported, Russell Australia has decided to do recall the product in Australia as a precaution. For those who purchased the product, they are advised not to use it and return it. A replacement basketball system of equivalent or better quality, including delivery and installation, or a refund, from most retailers, will also cover the cost of returning the product to them.
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The product was initially released in Oct. 2021. In a press release, it was described as a quick install, being able to be installed within 30 minutes. The goal of the design was to bring more people to the sport by “increasing the accessibility of a high-performance hoop through a 30-minute-or-less assembly process,” per PR News Wire.
“The basketball hoop assembly process needed to be easier and more enjoyable – that was made clear to us through analyzing reviews throughout the category and from focus groups of athletes, parents, and coaches,” Ben Simms, Global Marketing Manager for Spalding®, said in a statement amid the release of the product. “Our challenge was creating a mostly pre-assembled hoop, without increasing price or packaging size, or losing quality/stability, in an effort to produce a fast-to-assemble product. We accomplished all the above with the Momentous™ EZ Assembly™. It’s our strongest built portable in its class, easiest to assemble, and the packaging can fit into most vehicles and ship via ground transportation for e-commerce.”
A previous in-ground basketball hoop by Spalding was recalled in 2009. The reason for the hazard was due to bolts at the base being able to fail, causing the unit to fall and pose an injury risk to consumers.
