BALLGATE 2007!!: Part 3

by Lang Whitaker

Sure, David Stern says the ball is staying. Fine, if you want to effectively end Ballgate 2007. But we’re not going without a fight. Two things…

1) Mark Cuban, bless his heart, asked the physics department at University of Texas — Arlington to take a look at the new ball, and they produced a comprehensive report. One thing Cuban notes, though, is that the new balls retain “lots” of dirt, so much so that the nets will get really dirty after a few games. It’s an exhaustive study they put together, and totally worth reading through.

2) Who is responsible for Marvin Williams’ broken finger? The new ball! Marv apparently reached in to swipe at the ball, one of his fingers was bent or pushed the wrong way, and he broke his hand. Would a different surface on the ball have made a difference? Perhaps we’ll never know…