When the best is but the worst wins

The National Basketball Association (NBA) season began in early October in turmoil. The most important part of the game in a highly contested debate between leadership and the "workers". It's not about salaries, playing time, arenas, jerseys, logos, or Christmas bonuses.

It's about the ball. Yeah. The leather basketball hasn't changed in 35 years. Now Spalding has tried to introduce an improved composite basketball that "testing performed by (manufacturer) Spalding and the NBA demonstrated that the new composite basketball was more consistent than leather, and statistically there has been an improvement in shooting, scoring, and ball-related turnovers,..." said David Stern, NBA Commissioner. full article here

Unfortunately, several of the NBA's star players, including LeBron James and Shaquille O'Neal, don't care for the new ball and after voicing their opinions, have forced the NBA to return back to the old worse leather ball because it "feels" better.

Change is not easy anywhere, at anytime, with any group. After 35 years, people get used to the way of doing things and if it's working, then don't break it, people would say. But how then does progress occur? How do you get hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles when gasoline is "working"?

One would think that a major change to such a critical part of the game that has been a standard for over three decades would involve some strategic thinking. True leaders would pull in the vocal decision makers and influencers. They would solicit their input, get feedback and move forward based on the information. Malcolm Gladwell wrote a great book called The Tipping Point. The Tipping Point looks at "social epidemics", or sudden and often chaotic changes from one state to another. The NBA "leadership" would do themselves well to pick up the book and get a clue.