What's New In The NBA

Two Topics: The Calls and The Ball

Apparently, David Stern, the commissioner, has enforced a the rule of arguing referees' calls. This includes any type of overt expression and griping towards calls of the referees. I saw a stat on Steven A. Smith's show and it said that within the first 50 games compared to last year 40 more technical calls have been called. I've seen some of the idiotic ejections myself. I must say this new enforcement is absolutely ridiculous. I'm not entirely in favor of every player being like Rasheed Wallace, but David Stern has to realize that players react emotionally to the calls because in the heat of the moment, adrenaline is high and the passion a player has is high. I don't like what David Stern has done with this. I love David Stern and something tells me that this new enforcement will last and eventually be gradually forgotten. I don't like this move one bit because the game is getting too regulated and the intensity is being thrown out of the sport. This is entertainment. C'mon Stern.

Another thing that David Stern has changed about the NBA is the basketball itself. I'm not even sure why the ball was changed in the first place. I want to say that the past few years players would disagree on balls used for games because of the wear and tear of the leather each ball would be different and they would also have to switch them out often for the players to agree on. With this new synthetic ball, players have complained that it's too sticky and resembles an outdoor ball. In case you don't know the difference, the next time you're at wal-mart or a sporting goods store, feel them both. BIG DIFFERENCE. Players around the league including big names like LeBron James, Shaq, Dwyane Wade, and Steve Nash have voiced their dislike with the new ball. However, Tony Parker likes it, so that's a plus for the Spurs. But, in the long run the players will probably adjust if the new ball "sticks." Pun intended. Just like the smaller FIBA ball used in international play, players adjusted because they had to. But, I'm still in favor of bringing back the old leather ball. I have an outdoor ball because I have an outdoor basketball hoop, but I definitely prefer the leather ball because it just feels so much better. So Stern, WTF? And give the players what they want. It's just a F*in ball.