<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">HOUSTON - If you were Kobe Bryant, shooting a career-best 49.5 percent from the floor this season, how would you feel about NBA commissioner David Stern's decision to bring back the traditional leather basketball effective Jan. 1? "I don't think that has anything to do with the (microfiber composite) ball," Bryant said with a laugh. "The way I look at it, if we played with the old ball, I might be shooting 53, 55 percent." Bryant did not express the disdain for the league's synthetic ball as some of the league's other superstars, namely Shaquille O'Neal, Steve Nash and LeBron James. His preference, however, was clear. "At the end of the day, a ball's a ball," Bryant said. "But if you're giving me a choice, I'd much rather play with the old one." The Lakers will play the NBA's second-to-last game with the synthetic ball, a 6:30 p.m. (PST) tip-off against Philadelphia on Dec. 31. That left coach Phil Jackson musing, "If our game is after midnight Eastern time on New Year's Day, do we have to play with the new ball?" For the most part, the news was greeted with a shrug in the locker room. The Lakers lead the NBA in turnovers at 17.8 per game, so changing back to a leather ball can only help in that respect. "As long as we're not playing with a football or baseball, it don't really matter," Lamar Odom said. "Practicing with it is the big deal. I guess teams that don't get to practice with it, they might be affected a little bit." </div> Source
Thats what the players should say... in my country our basketball league is also using the new nba micro fiber ball and NO ONE has expressed disappointment
<div class="quote_poster">shapecity Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Source</div> Kobe's right. A ball is a ball is a ball.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">"At the end of the day, a ball's a ball," Bryant said. "But if you're giving me a choice, I'd much rather play with the old one."</div> He still supports the change.
