WBRS Sports Blog

On June 28th, the NBA officially introduced the new official game ball. The ball features "two interlocking, cross-shaped panels rather than the eight oblong panels found on traditional basketballs". Further, the ball will no longer be leather but rather consist of "a microfiber composite with moisture management that provides superior grip and feel throughout the course of a game." It seemed NBA players as well as NBA fans were indifferent to the changes as there were no public complaints or criticisms...

However now, more than three months after the release of the ball, the always opinionated Shaquille O'Neal has decided to weigh in on the change in equipment:

"I think the new ball is terrible. 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."

Why does Shaq think the change to a new composite ball is such a terrible move?

"Feels like one of those cheap balls that you buy at the toy store, indoor-outdoor balls. 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?"

Shaq's partner in crime, Dwyane Wade, also weighed in on the issue..."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." Wade also is critical of the "'slippage factor', as in how much grip will be lost when players' hands sweat and that moisture gets on the ball."

Funny enough, in an NBA press release earlier this summer Wade had nothing but praise for the ball, especially regarding the grip. Kind of makes you think Wade never even saw or touched the ball when he made this comment.."It will be great to get a ball that just feels the same no matter where you are and then it'’ll really give you that comfort that you need, either home or away...I think the grip is nice ... I'll be able to do more tricks with it, so I'’m excited about the grip of it. It feels really good."

If these complaints continue to pile up you have to wonder if the NBA reverts back to the old, leather ball. But then again, on a positive note at least Shaq will finally have a legitimate excuse for his atrocious free throw percentage.