SPALDING REACTS TO CHANGE SPALDING REACTS TO CHANGE NBA players and their union got what they wanted Monday when the league announced it would revert to using a leather ball on Jan. 1.



Spalding, which has been the NBA's official game ball supplier since 1983, also produces the leather ball. The company defended the composite ball in a statement after learning of the league's decision.



"Spalding's main objective is to uphold the integrity of the game of basketball," said Spalding Group President and CEO Scott Creelman. "For 130 years, Spalding's commitment has been and remains providing the best players in the world with the best product for the game.



"We believe the microfiber composite ball offers many superior characteristics to leather, however we firmly support any decision that improves player satisfaction. We will work closely with the NBA to ensure a smooth transition and to determine the best product going forward."



--Oscar Dixon, USA TODAY NBA to ditch new ball, return to old Leather is in again in the NBA. NBA Commissioner David Stern announced Monday that the league is blowing the whistle on the microfiber composite ball that was introduced this season and will go back to the leather ball beginning Jan. 1. SPORTS SCOPE: Read and react "Our players' response to this particular composite ball has been consistently negative, and we are acting accordingly," Stern said. "Although testing performed by Spalding and the NBA demonstrated that the new composite basketball was more consistent than leather, and statistically there has been an improvement in shooting, scoring and ball-related turnovers, the most important statistic is the view of our players." Stern said the league will work with players and Spalding to "determine the best ball possible for the NBA." The NBA Development League will continue using the synthetic ball. The switch to the synthetic ball, the first change to the ball in more than 35 years and only the second in 60 seasons, was not well received by most players. Many of the league's biggest stars —Shaquille O'Neal, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Steve Nash, Jason Kidd and Gilbert Arenas among them — complained publicly about the ball. Billy Hunter, executive director of the players union, welcomed the change. The union filed an unfair labor practice charge this month with the National Labor Relations Board, seeking to have the leather ball brought back. "It was a sound decision," Hunter said. "It wasn't working for the players. You can't have as many players speaking out against the ball and continue to use it. The players are going to be happy. It was the prudent and professional thing to do." "I'll be shooting with that ball tomorrow," James said. "It is going to take a few weeks, (but) we'll find a way to get back to the leather ball. (Stern) understands where we were coming from. For the league to be successful, the players have to be happy." ***** QUOTES ABOUT THE BALL Preseason talk: • "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. It feels really good." —Dwyane Wade, Miami •"When you play in different cities, the ball may be a little newer or may be a little worn out, but this ball right here, it seems like it's going to stay the same, so that's a positive thing." —Chris Paul, New Orleans/Oklahoma City •"We do have a month to get it going. Right now I would say that the basketball sticks to the floor; it sticks to the backboard. It is different." —Steve Nash, Phoenix In-season chatter: •"The ball is different; we've all had complaints. It's changed a lot of what we are and who we are. At the beginning of the year, I kept an open mind to it. Overall, you see the league, shots aren't like they used to be. Every player I've talked to, to a man is in disagreement with the ball." —Ray Allen, Seattle •"The only thing that we love the most is the basketball. That's your comfort. I mean, without your basketball, it doesn't work. That was my biggest problem, was, why would you change something that means so much to us? " —LeBron James, Cleveland •"I just need to keep my hands from getting too dry because when they get dry, the ball just tears them apart. It's kind of like paper cuts." — Nash, Phoenix Monday's reactions: •"It's just stupid for them to go back now. It took three months to get used to the new ball, and it's going to take one to two months to go back. They should have waited until the offseason." —Shawn Marion, Phoenix, told Arizona Republic •"The basketball is the most important thing to us. I didn't think the ball would be switched in the same season. As players we're very excited." — James, Cleveland •"One day we're going to play with one ball, and the next day we're going to play with another one. It's just like the park. … Whoever brings the ball on Jan. 1, that's the one we're going to play with." — Doc Rivers, Boston coach