Source - SI.com
The league sent a memo to its teams Monday, telling them that the change
would be made for the remainder of the 2006-07 season. In the memo, NBA
president Joel Litvin said that Spalding had 450 new leather balls on hand for
use.
"Our players response to this particular composite ball has been
overwhelmingly negative and we are acting accordingly, NBA commissioner David
Stern said in a statement. "Although testing performed by Spalding and the NBA
demonstrated that the new composite basketball was more consistent than leather,
and statistically there has been an improvement in shooting, scoring, and
ball-related turnovers, the most important statistic is the view of our
players.
Players have complained about the new ball since training camp, saying that
it bounced differently than the old one - both off the floor and the rim. They
also said the synthetic material cut their hands.
"For the league to be successful, obviously the players have to be happy. The
basketball is the most important thing to us, said a smiling LeBron James, one
of several NBA All-Stars who criticized the new ball.
"Like I said before, you can change the dress code, you can make our shorts
shorter, but when you take our basketball away from us, thats not a transition
we handle.
Stern told The New York Times last week the league should have sought more
input from players before introducing the new ball. He also said he would
address the players criticisms with Spalding, the manufacturer.
Spalding president and CEO Scott Creelman said in a statement that his
company "will work closely with the NBA to ensure a smooth transition and to
determine the best product going forward.
The lack of player input about the new ball prompted one of the two unfair
labor practice charges filed Dec. 1 by the union with the National Labor
Relations Board.
Two-time league MVP Steve Nash, who had said the new ball cut up his hands,
wasnt looking forward to the change to the old one.
"After playing with an authentic leather ball your whole life and going to a
composite was very difficult, but after playing with it every day you become
used to it, Nash said. "Its going to be another arduous time for us to adjust
back.
The timing will certainly be strange for the Boston Celtics, the leagues
only team that plays Dec. 31 and Jan. 1. Since most NBA teams dont hold
shootarounds on the morning of the second game of a back-to-back, they will have
little time to adjust to the change.
"One day were going to play with one ball and the next day were going to
play with another one, Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "Its just like the
park. Thats what its going to feel like. Whoever brings the ball on Jan. 1,
thats the one were going to play with.
The NBA made the first change to its game ball in more than 35 years in June.
Stern joked at the news conference then that he liked it better because his name
appeared on it twice.
But its been no laughing matter.
Shaquille ONeal compared it to one of those "cheap balls that you buy at the
toy store, indoor-outdoor balls when the Miami Heat opened camp.
"Im very excited, James said Monday after the switch. "You see my smile,
right? If weve got practice tomorrow, Ill be shooting with that (old) ball
tomorrow.
The ball was used in events at the last two All-Star games and was tested in
summer league and Development League play. It also is used at the amateur
levels, so most players grow up using it.
