In the Lane with Licht: Microfiber is Not the New Leather
December 15, 2006
Before this NBA season I thought microfiber was new furniture covering. It’s soft and spills can be wiped clean and easily from the fabric.
Since then I’ve learned that microfiber isn’t just for furniture it’s a composite that can be used to irritate even the greatest sports commissioner of our time. Oh, and it too can be wiped clean from our memories.
Actually, David Stern’s desire to replace the cowhide with the pseudo hide isn’t what had NBA players in an uproar…at least not if you ask members of the Hornets. Most players had already adjusted to the new ball. They just didn’t adjust to being ignored. There’s an old belief in the sales business that it’s better to ask forgiveness than to ask permission. In the case of the NBA, the league office didn’t ask the players association permission to change the primary tool of their trade, they threatened legal action, and the league responded by announcing that they were replacing microfiber with leather.
What a turn of events. The first ball lasted 35 years. The second ball lasted…less than 35 games.
When the NBA announced in June they were introducing a new official game ball it only had quotes from two current NBA players (Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade). Paul praised its consistency (“…no matter what city you play in the ball will be the same…”), while Wade expressed delight at the ball’s grip (“…I think the grip is nice, I’ll be able to do more tricks with it…”).
Yeah, like making it disappear.
The other quotes in the official release were from Hall-of-Famers like George Gervin, Clyde Drexler, Moses Malone, none of whom were going to have to play with the microfiber composite.
Hall of Famer and Hornets Vice President of Basketball Operations Willis Reed, who reminded me that the first ball he ever played with was a rubber ball on outside courts, believes the league office gave in to all of the criticism from players around the NBA.
“The league office evidently felt it needed to do more research and come up with a better ball. I think eventually we’ll change the ball. The industry in other sports has already changed over to microfiber-type materials over leather. I think they’re trying to improve the game, but they didn’t do everything they were supposed to do the first time.”
Power forward David West believes that the league’s lack of respect for the players’ opinions about changing the ball has as much as anything to do with the backtracking.
“I think more than anything else guys’ egos and not being involved in the decision-making process is more or less what that’s about. It didn’t bother me, but a lot of guys didn’t agree with it, especially big name guys in the league. I guess they got tired of hearing players complain about it.”
Point guard Chris Paul can understand both sides in the decision to return to the old ball in January.
“It’s the players who play in the game. All the players have been complaining about the ball and we’re the ones who have to play with it night in and night out.”
He also agrees with West that had the league simply asked the players opinions before arbitrarily making the change this might have turned out differently.
“I think that’s what it is too. After playing on the U.S.A. team this summer I came back and you find out you’re playing with a totally different ball that took some getting used to. Guys didn’t get used to it fast enough. I’m excited about the switch back. I think we had a pretty good season last year with that ball (an NBA best 20-game improvement).”
Forward Desmond Mason isn’t shocked that ball is going the way of the Dodo bird, only that it is happening DURING the season.
“During the season? Yeah. Surprised? No, because there were too many guys who were unhappy with the ball. It was one of those things that I think was inevitable. Steve (Nash) was getting cuts on his hand and some guys were saying the way the ball bounced was funny. The leather ball has been working forever so I couldn’t really see a change.
Head coach Byron Scott is like Mason, not surprised at a change, just the timing of it.
“I really am surprised. I thought the decision would be made in the summertime just like we did in the summer league. This is going to be crazy because all of the sudden on January 1st you’ll go to leather balls which are a little bit heavier, a little bit slicker. It will take them a month to get used to those balls. It’s going to be weird.
And are players justified in being upset that they weren’t involved in the decision to axe the leather ball?
“I think so. We have a lot of players in this league who are a little sensitive. They don’t feel that they were consulted ahead of time and took offense to it, and rightfully so. A lot of them liked the ball and a lot of them really don’t care, but I thought it should have been a situation where you tested it out first instead of just springing it on the guys and saying this is what we’re going to be playing with this year.”
Today, sound bites, fast food, DVR’s, and PSP’s rule. So, for those of you who have already forgotten…here’s a comparison of the “old” ball (leather) and the “new” ball (microfiber).
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Bob LichtSince then I’ve learned that microfiber isn’t just for furniture it’s a composite that can be used to irritate even the greatest sports commissioner of our time. Oh, and it too can be wiped clean from our memories.
Actually, David Stern’s desire to replace the cowhide with the pseudo hide isn’t what had NBA players in an uproar…at least not if you ask members of the Hornets. Most players had already adjusted to the new ball. They just didn’t adjust to being ignored. There’s an old belief in the sales business that it’s better to ask forgiveness than to ask permission. In the case of the NBA, the league office didn’t ask the players association permission to change the primary tool of their trade, they threatened legal action, and the league responded by announcing that they were replacing microfiber with leather.
What a turn of events. The first ball lasted 35 years. The second ball lasted…less than 35 games.
When the NBA announced in June they were introducing a new official game ball it only had quotes from two current NBA players (Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade). Paul praised its consistency (“…no matter what city you play in the ball will be the same…”), while Wade expressed delight at the ball’s grip (“…I think the grip is nice, I’ll be able to do more tricks with it…”).
Yeah, like making it disappear.
The other quotes in the official release were from Hall-of-Famers like George Gervin, Clyde Drexler, Moses Malone, none of whom were going to have to play with the microfiber composite.
Hall of Famer and Hornets Vice President of Basketball Operations Willis Reed, who reminded me that the first ball he ever played with was a rubber ball on outside courts, believes the league office gave in to all of the criticism from players around the NBA.
“The league office evidently felt it needed to do more research and come up with a better ball. I think eventually we’ll change the ball. The industry in other sports has already changed over to microfiber-type materials over leather. I think they’re trying to improve the game, but they didn’t do everything they were supposed to do the first time.”
Power forward David West believes that the league’s lack of respect for the players’ opinions about changing the ball has as much as anything to do with the backtracking.
“I think more than anything else guys’ egos and not being involved in the decision-making process is more or less what that’s about. It didn’t bother me, but a lot of guys didn’t agree with it, especially big name guys in the league. I guess they got tired of hearing players complain about it.”
Point guard Chris Paul can understand both sides in the decision to return to the old ball in January.
“It’s the players who play in the game. All the players have been complaining about the ball and we’re the ones who have to play with it night in and night out.”
He also agrees with West that had the league simply asked the players opinions before arbitrarily making the change this might have turned out differently.
“I think that’s what it is too. After playing on the U.S.A. team this summer I came back and you find out you’re playing with a totally different ball that took some getting used to. Guys didn’t get used to it fast enough. I’m excited about the switch back. I think we had a pretty good season last year with that ball (an NBA best 20-game improvement).”
Forward Desmond Mason isn’t shocked that ball is going the way of the Dodo bird, only that it is happening DURING the season.
“During the season? Yeah. Surprised? No, because there were too many guys who were unhappy with the ball. It was one of those things that I think was inevitable. Steve (Nash) was getting cuts on his hand and some guys were saying the way the ball bounced was funny. The leather ball has been working forever so I couldn’t really see a change.
Head coach Byron Scott is like Mason, not surprised at a change, just the timing of it.
“I really am surprised. I thought the decision would be made in the summertime just like we did in the summer league. This is going to be crazy because all of the sudden on January 1st you’ll go to leather balls which are a little bit heavier, a little bit slicker. It will take them a month to get used to those balls. It’s going to be weird.
And are players justified in being upset that they weren’t involved in the decision to axe the leather ball?
“I think so. We have a lot of players in this league who are a little sensitive. They don’t feel that they were consulted ahead of time and took offense to it, and rightfully so. A lot of them liked the ball and a lot of them really don’t care, but I thought it should have been a situation where you tested it out first instead of just springing it on the guys and saying this is what we’re going to be playing with this year.”
Today, sound bites, fast food, DVR’s, and PSP’s rule. So, for those of you who have already forgotten…here’s a comparison of the “old” ball (leather) and the “new” ball (microfiber).
| OLD BALL (now the new ball) | NEW BALL (now the old ball) | |
| LEATHER | MICROFIBER COMPOSITE | |
| 1-2 MONTHS | IMMEDIATE | |
| EIGHT | TWO | |
| ORANGE/DARK BROWN | NBA-HERITAGE ORANGE | |
| 70,000+ BOUNCES | 80,000+ BOUNCES | |
| $37.50 | $99.99 | |
| CHINA | CHINA | |
| 1970 | 2006 | |
| RICHARD NIXON | GEORGE W. BUSH | |
| 70.8 YEARS | 78 YEARS | |
| 6 CENTS | 39 CENTS | |
| NY KNICKS | MIAMI HEAT | |
| IBM’s FLOPPY DISC | SLING BOX | |
| BEATLES BROKE UP | PLUTO IS NO PLANET |
