Spalding who has been in the business of making basketballs since 1894 had this too say: “The new ball features a new design and a new material that together offer better grip, feel, and consistency than the current leather ball. The new ball features Spalding’s Cross Traxxion™ technology, a union of interlocking, cross-shaped panels rather than the eight oblong panels found on traditional basketballs. As a result, there is more material coverage. The material is a microfiber composite with moisture management that provides superior grip and feel throughout the course of a game. Additionally, the new composite material eliminates the need for a break-in period, which is necessary for the current leather ball, and achieves consistency from ball to ball”.
Sounds simply enough right? It pretty much means with more surface area there is more ball to grip and therefore easier to handle. The older leather ball had deeper seams separating the different panels so by eliminating several of these seams you get more ball. Also, supposedly this ball is much easier to play with when wet because of the microfiber composite.
This is where is gets confusing as the majority of current NBA players despise the ball none more so than 4 time NBA champion Shaquille O’Neal who has compared the change as “touching an exotic dancer,then coming home to a plastic blow-up doll. “I think the new ball is terrible,” O’Neal. “It’s the worst decision some expert, whoever did it, made. … The NBA’s been around how long? A hundred years? Fifty years? So to change it now, whoever that person is needs his college degree revoked. It’s a terrible decision.”
Shaq however is not alone is his criticisms however as several other coaches and star players such as LeBron James, Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Vince Carter, Carmelo Anthoney, and NBA FINALS MVP dwayne Wade have already spoken out against the new ball calling it a “cheap indoor/outdoor ball that can be bought in any toy store.That’s not stopping the NBA from marketing it at $99.00 however. Twenty dollars more than the leather ball.The most common complaint aired is the new ball feels completely different and once wet becomes much slicker and almost impossible to handle. They believe this is going to lead to many more turnovers and missed shots. Rashed Wallace of the Detroit Pistons had this too say “When it gets wet, it gets slick. It might have to be like Wimbledon. When they get wet, we’ll have to get a ball boy to bounce a new one in.” Players who were all delivered a new ball this summer to practice with wonder why no current player was consulted during the design/testing phase of the new ball. Also rumor has it several players are upset that NBA commissioner David Stern’s name now appears twice on the new ball.
With all this negative press and a tradition of over a hundred years of playing with a leather ball way was this switch made?
ECONOMICS:
Jason Kidd of the New Jersey Nets said there was nothing wrong with the old models. “They probably couldn’t sell it,” he said of the old leather balls. “It was an indoor ball. Not too many kids play inside. A lot of kids play outside, so maybe that was the reason.” … Stu Jackson NBA Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations had this to say “It was not based on money at all. It was not motivated by the desire to increase game ball sales. In actuality, game balls have comprised a tiny fraction of Spalding’s basketball business and really represent less than 1 percent of their unit sales.
SPEED UP GAME PLAY/ MORE POINTS:
The last several years with the success of fan-pleasing up tempo teams such as Phoenix and Dallas the league has made several rule changes to encourage more scoring. With field goal percentage generally in decline perhaps a ball which is supposedly easier to shoot and pass could only help.
THE EXTINCTION OF COWS IS IMMINENT:
NBA sources have stated that Spalding urged the NBA to switch to a composite model because it was having trouble securing the “consistent” leather needed to keep manufacturing the ball that has been used for decades. Spalding however said that isn’t a major reason. In fact, Spalding is one of the few companies in fact that still make leather balls
EVERYBODY IS DOING IT:
Every other organization in the world plays with a synthetic ball. Synthetic basketballs are used at every level from High school to College to FIBA(foreign basketball leagues) the last ten years. Most players have in fact never played with a leather ball before reaching the NBA and probably will adept to the change much easier. This new ball was used during the NBA ALL-STAR GAME last year to no ill-effect and the NBA minor league the (NBDL) used it throughout last season.
