AI, Synthetic Balls, and a Rumble in the Garden

So here's the 17.1 million dollar question: where will The Answer be playing in 2007? Clearly not in the city of Brotherly Love, where they've already cleaned out his locker and removed his nameplate from the door. Both the Nuggets and the Knicks were said to be in the hunt, but who knows how this latest bit of Zeke-inspired "Bad Boys" deja vu is going to influence those possibilities. Eight suspensions and over a million dollars in fines -- all apparently because one coach felt the other was trying to run up the score, and encouraged his own players to get tough and stand up for themselves. Pride and that street-smart playground need for "respect" apparently still trump all, including both the threat of six-figure fines or a career-ending injury which would make those seven-figure paychecks simply a nostalgic memory.

The new ball/old ball "controversy" has been fascinating. Nearly bought one myself out of curiosity back in October, but they were a hundred bucks apeice and since I knew then they wouldn't take, I've been waiting around until they get marked down as obsolete inventory. Of course, for all I know they are probably now collectors items on e-Bay.

I'm a little embarrassed to say this, but my house is now overrun with basketballs -- 25 at latest count, only one of which (the oldest) is actual leather. Of course, I'm still a big fan of the old ABA red, white and blue "beachball" (which one of the guys I play with calls "that Globetrotter ball"), although most recently I've been playing with a black & brown variation manufactured in Thailand by Nike and called "the Tactician" because of its special, high-grip synthetic indoor/outdoor cover which allows even someone like me to palm the rock. As a shooter I love to be able to see the rotation of the ball as it arcs towards the hole, and if I can see it in rainbow color so much the better. But most true ballers seem to be a little put off by so much flash. They want pumpkins they can sweat on.

The Celtics would love to have Iverson, but they don't really want to give up anyone to get him. Miami is already loaded, but I'm guessing that both Gary Payton and Jason Williams would quickly be history if AI moved to South Beach. A deal to the Bobcats was reportedly vetoed by Iverson himself, while the Timberwolves would love to make a deal that would bring AI and KG together in Minnesota, but don't really have anything in the way of players or draft choices to offer the Sixers in return. Which brings us back to Gotham or the Mile High City. And the Answer sitting home for Christmas, waiting for the phone to ring.