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Nice try, but there is no way they would change balls. You should have tried another topic.
MIAMI - Heat center Shaquille O'Neal is no fan of the new basketballs to be used by the NBA this season, and isn't afraid to say so.
"I think the new ball is terrible," O'Neal said Monday. "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."
It's only the second time in 60 seasons the NBA has changed its game balls, and the first time in 35 years.
The new model, the league said in a release, "is a microfiber composite with moisture management that provides superior grip and feel throughout the course of a game."
O'Neal, along with many of his Heat teammates, strongly disagree.
"Feels like one of those cheap balls that you buy at the toy store, indoor-outdoor balls," O'Neal said. "I look for shooting percentages to be way down and turnovers to be way up, because when the ball gets wet you can't really control it. Whoever did that needs to be fired. It was terrible, a terrible decision. Awful. I might get fined for saying that, but so what?"
Other factors cited by the league in changing the ball is so that ones used in games will be uniform throughout the league, and that the leather models needed a breaking-in period that won't be necessary with the composite.
"I don't like it, because it's different," Heat backup center Michael Doleac said. "You get used to something, you don't want to change it. ... But in three years, we'll probably all look back and not be able to imagine playing with anything else."
The new composite will be the third type of ball Heat guard Dwyane Wade will use in four months.
Last season's finals were played with the traditional leather ball, then the FIBA world championships used a ball that was slightly smaller than the NBA model - something Wade spent most of the summer getting familiar with.
"Now I've got to make another adjustment with a ball that I haven't shot with at all and it's going to be a challenge," Wade said. "That means it's going to take a lot of late nights for me, I'll tell you that, to get really adjusted to the ball because I have no choice."
Wade said the biggest complaint players have with the new ball is the slippage factor, as in how much grip will be lost when players' hands sweat and that moisture gets on the ball.
"Hopefully over time, you'll hear nothing about it and we'll all stop complaining," Wade said. "But I think rebounds are going to go up this year. All around the league, I think there's going to be a lot of bricks thrown up there early on."
Nice try, but there is no way they would change balls. You should have tried another topic.
Whine and whine.
Has anybody tried out the new balls?(seriously)
I'm used to my balls and I'm not gonna try tyhe new ones
I think Shaq feels the same...
I agree with Shaq. These new balls are horrible.
The only reasons the NBA is changing the balls are:
1) These balls are cheaper
2) They hope to sell more of these
Shaq wants old balls?
Shoog?
Have you played with the new ball already?
Oh and
Since when do you agree with Shaq?
This season is ruined before it begun
Why the does Shaq care? He just sits under the basket since he is never called for 3 second violations.
Exactly what I was thinking. Its not like he shoots from the outside. Besides that he sucks from the free throw line, maybe the ball will slip in if it is wet now.
"It's like touching an exotic dancer and then going and touching a plastic, blow-up doll," Shaq said. "It feels different."
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/sports/...heat_1003.html
Yeah, but the doll gives it up.
Other than that, while I haven't touched the new ball, timvp's probably right.
Maybe they did this to get Steve Nash to stop licking his fingers.
Holy Is This For Real?
Yeah I've felt the new ball. It feels like a cheap rubber ball.Have you played with the new ball already?
Oh and
Since when do you agree with Shaq?
This season is ruined before it begun
The NBA likes it because they can produce these for pennies compared to what it cost to produce the old leather ones. And because they are "new", they charge even more for them.
Plus to be cool, you can't play with the old ball.
David Stern is one smart man.
Did you think it was a joke article?
Isn't part of the change that now it is only a two-panel ball? I'm sure that decision was based on cost, but it's not just a material change but a panel change as well if I am not mistaken.Yeah I've felt the new ball. It feels like a cheap rubber ball.
The NBA likes it because they can produce these for pennies compared to what it cost to produce the old leather ones. And because they are "new", they charge even more for them.
Plus to be cool, you can't play with the old ball.
David Stern is one smart man.
If Shaquille does not like the new ball, that says something right there! David Stern should get this straightened out right away before this drags into the season...Perhaps Shaq could design something far superior or maybe he would be content to just switch back to the old NBA ball...
BTW- In the article did Shaquille mention what strip clubs actually allow you to touch the strippers? Most clubs make sure that you keep your hands on the arm rests of the chair...
I saw that on WOAI last night.
If Shaq's at ude had been followed all these years, they'd still be playing with a soccer ball or a ball with laces.
One thing that I'm waiting to see is how Tim will shoot his FT's now. I know he hasn't shot well to begin with but I noticed that he would put his middle finger where all of the seams of the panels met and shoot like that. Now that there's no area like that on the ball will he be better or worse?
Honestly, could he be worse?
yes
why is he mad anyways? he acting like they changed the shape of the ball from round to square or some ....... he should be the last person to get mad its not like hes gonna make a shot any ing ways.......
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