1. Welcome! Please take a few seconds to create your free account to post threads, make some friends, remove a few ads while surfing and much more. ClutchFans has been bringing fans together to talk Houston Sports since 1996. Join us!

Shaq at it Again : Shaq: 'Whoever [changed ball] needs to be fired'

Discussion in 'NBA Dish' started by magnomonkey, Oct 2, 2006.

Tags:
Page 1 of 4
  1. magnomonkey

    magnomonkey Member

    Joined:
    Sep 21, 2003
    Messages:
    475
    Likes Received:
    17
    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.

    "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 on the NBA's new ball

    "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."

    "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."
    -- Dwyane Wade on the new ball's effects

    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."

    Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press
     
    #1 magnomonkey, Oct 2, 2006
  2. magnomonkey

    magnomonkey Member

    Joined:
    Sep 21, 2003
    Messages:
    475
    Likes Received:
    17
    At least we know his freethrows are going to be even worse this season.
     
    #2 magnomonkey, Oct 2, 2006
  3. Omer

    Omer Member

    Joined:
    Mar 25, 2006
    Messages:
    3,933
    Likes Received:
    56
    I thought the new ball had better grip? Way back when it was released wasn't that what a lot of the players were saying?
     
    #3 Omer, Oct 2, 2006
  4. Pringles

    Pringles Member

    Joined:
    Mar 25, 2006
    Messages:
    4,706
    Likes Received:
    1,469
    i agree with dwane and shaq. i have a composite leather basketball, they have good grip and all, but when your hands get sweaty you gotta wipe your hands and your ball or else it will slip out. if you look at high school school games, some refs wipe the ball every now and then with their shirt.
     
    #4 Pringles, Oct 2, 2006
  5. c1utchfan925

    c1utchfan925 Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Jul 18, 2006
    Messages:
    1,942
    Likes Received:
    323
    uh stop crying k thanks. its a ball, you have skills use them.
     
    #5 c1utchfan925, Oct 2, 2006
  6. aussie rocket

    aussie rocket Member

    Joined:
    Apr 3, 2006
    Messages:
    6,096
    Likes Received:
    201
    Shaq making excuses already by the sounds of it.

    He's aware that this is the year Yao finally leaves no doubt he's the L's best big man.

    But honestly, if the ball really is like one of those indoor/outdoor Spaldings, then damn thats gonna suck.

    they dont even tend to bounce that well.
     
    #6 aussie rocket, Oct 2, 2006
  7. Genuine

    Genuine Member

    Joined:
    May 28, 2003
    Messages:
    357
    Likes Received:
    2
    They have been good fro 35 years of professional basketball, why change them?
     
    #7 Genuine, Oct 2, 2006
  8. BigM

    BigM Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Jul 1, 2001
    Messages:
    17,993
    Likes Received:
    13,168
    i don't get why they changed them all of a sudden but i don't see how it really matters seeing how it affects everyone the same.
     
    #8 BigM, Oct 3, 2006
  9. IROC it

    IROC it Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Feb 16, 1999
    Messages:
    12,629
    Likes Received:
    88
    I think it's funny to hear Shaq say all that... :D

    But it's not like the ball will only be used in his games. :rolleyes:
     
    #9 IROC it, Oct 3, 2006
  10. MrButtocks

    MrButtocks Contributing Member

    Joined:
    May 29, 2005
    Messages:
    7,243
    Likes Received:
    5,133
    You know, that's exactly what I thought it would feel like when they described it earlier this year. And those balls suck hard. Although I don't lose control with sweaty hands, I just don't like the massive amounts of grip compared with higher quality balls.
     
    #10 MrButtocks, Oct 3, 2006
  11. HeadsUp7Up

    HeadsUp7Up Member

    Joined:
    Sep 20, 2006
    Messages:
    61
    Likes Received:
    0
    The material sucks, nothing beats a nice genuine leather ball. But the construction of the ball looked nice and compact. It's just the cheap material sucks. Sounds like one of those cheap toy balls.
     
    #11 HeadsUp7Up, Oct 3, 2006
  12. aussie rocket

    aussie rocket Member

    Joined:
    Apr 3, 2006
    Messages:
    6,096
    Likes Received:
    201
    Yao might have something to complain about next year when they try and slow his roll by introducing 11 foot high rims. :cool:
     
    #12 aussie rocket, Oct 3, 2006
  13. DaDakota

    DaDakota If you want to know, just ask!

    Joined:
    Mar 14, 1999
    Messages:
    124,008
    Likes Received:
    32,918
    It is the same ball that MILLIONS of players use around the country in the local YMCAs.

    No big whop !

    DD
     
    #13 DaDakota, Oct 3, 2006
  14. rrj_gamz

    rrj_gamz Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Aug 15, 2002
    Messages:
    15,595
    Likes Received:
    197
    Its his excuse for an even more atrocious FT % in the up coming season...
     
    #14 rrj_gamz, Oct 3, 2006
  15. ima_drummer2k

    ima_drummer2k Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Oct 18, 2002
    Messages:
    35,610
    Likes Received:
    7,558
    I actually agree with Shaq on this one. What is the point of changing the balls?

    Just stupid.
     
    #15 ima_drummer2k, Oct 3, 2006
  16. TeamUSA

    TeamUSA Member

    Joined:
    Aug 2, 2006
    Messages:
    2,770
    Likes Received:
    5
    Change is good for most of the times.. Let's give it a try.
     
    #16 TeamUSA, Oct 3, 2006
  17. Ognilecaf

    Ognilecaf Member

    Joined:
    Jul 28, 2006
    Messages:
    517
    Likes Received:
    0
    If your an "NBA" quality player....It shouldnt be that big of a deal....How many times have you played with a different ball.....If its a new ball and isnt rubber, it shouldnt matter. All Shaq does is dunk anyway, why does he care. When Ray Allen or Steve Nash complain, then I'll listen.
     
    #17 Ognilecaf, Oct 3, 2006
  18. Rocketeer

    Rocketeer Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Jun 19, 1999
    Messages:
    3,011
    Likes Received:
    1,239
    It didn't seem to affect last years NBA All-Star game. That's the same ball they used.
     
    #18 Rocketeer, Oct 3, 2006
  19. sammy

    sammy Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Jul 5, 2002
    Messages:
    18,949
    Likes Received:
    3,528
    LIke it or not...you cant hate on the leather
     
    #19 sammy, Oct 3, 2006
  20. smoothie

    smoothie Jabari Jungle

    Joined:
    Mar 1, 2001
    Messages:
    20,716
    Likes Received:
    6,945
    the heat are cry babies.

    everyone has to play with the same ball. it's not a dissadvantage to them.

    maybe FG% will be down, maybe to's will be up. one thing is for sure, everyone will be affected the same way and so the best team will still win.
     
    #20 smoothie, Oct 3, 2006
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)
Page 1 of 4

Share This Page

Toggle Width
Style
ClutchFans Original

  • About ClutchFans

    Since 1996, ClutchFans has been loud and proud covering the Houston Rockets, helping set an industry standard for team fan sites. The forums have been a home for Houston sports fans as well as basketball fanatics around the globe.

  • Rockets Content

  • Support ClutchFans!

    If you find that ClutchFans is a valuable resource for you, please consider becoming a Supporting Member. Supporting Members can upload photos and attachments directly to their posts, customize their user title and more. Gold Supporters see zero ads!


    Upgrade Now