NBA Switches To Shitty Synthetic Ball

[Jcrowley]

Despite Shaq's complaints, NBA says new ball is better
By BRIAN MAHONEY, AP Basketball Writer
October 4, 2006

NEW YORK (AP) -- Some of the NBA's biggest stars say the new game ball is too sticky when dry, too slippery when wet, and too -- well, not the old one. The league is convinced it's better, no matter what the likes of Shaquille O'Neal, Dwyane Wade or Steve Nash have to say about it.

"Sure, you hear some comments that aren't as positive as the overwhelming majority of people that we tested the ball with," Stu Jackson, executive vice president of basketball operations, said Tuesday. "That's going to happen. Everyone that handles the ball loves the grip and the feel of the ball." Not Shaq, who said the ball "feels like one of those cheap balls that you buy at the toy store, indoor-outdoor balls."

The NBA's old leather balls are being replaced this season by a microfiber composite model, the league's first change in 35 years. O'Neal blasted the ball Monday, criticizing not only the product, but whoever was involved in the decision to use it. Both O'Neal and Wade griped about the ball's slick grip when wet, and two-time reigning MVP Steve Nash said the ball has a tacky feel that makes shooting and certain types of passes tricky.

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"I'm right with him," Heat coach Pat Riley said. "I think it's horrible. ... It really does feel like an indoor-outdoor ball. We'll see how it works. Maybe they'll learn to love it, I don't know."

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-newball-shaqscomplaint&prov=ap&type=lgns