An NBA story that ISN'T about the Cavs.

I have really only been a fan of the NBA for the last two years or so (and I use the word, "fan" as lightly as possible. It still pains me to even watch highlights of regular season games.) and because of that, I never really played basketball too much growing up. Sure, there were the driveway one-on-one games with family and such, but that was about it. Last year, when the NBA announced that they were moving to a new, synthetic basketball for official game use, I didn't think too much of it; a basketball is a basketball is a basketball. Hell, back during those driveway games, we'd use basketballs balder than an Indycar tire if we had to.

Apparently, however, NBA players thought very ill of the idea of playing with the synthetic ball (sounds like a bad testicular cancer joke, but I assure that was not the goal) and that it did make a difference to them. After the All-Star break, David Stern promptly put the old basketballs back in use and didn't even think twice about it. Though his actions were commended by the majority of players in the league (and regular people who bought, and were refunded after returning, the synthetic ball) it has always begged the question:

What happened to the Orange Roundie?*

*outstanding props to YAYsports on thinking of this whole thing. Cracks me up every time I read it.

Lucky for all of us, We Are The Postmen found out.

It’s been a while since we last checked in with our friend Orange Roundie. Last
we heard, NBA players hated him, he cut up their hands or whatever and boom, he
was gone from our consciousness and the league for good. Dude never got
any love. Sad, really. But thankfully, Orange Roundie will now have a home.

Turns out the NBA is donating the basketballs to World Vision, a Christian Ministry that will usher the balls to children. I don't know why but I think this is great. I'll avoid getting all sappy here, but when you think about it the NBA is filled with money, most of it going to the players and owners, certainly never passed on to us regular folk. Take batshit crazy Washington Wizard Gilbert Areas, who is going to opt out of his contract and, come season's end, seek out a way to make sure he can pay the mortgage on his 20-room mansion, or something. And no one needs reminding of what Latrell Spreewell said concerning money. It's excessive and I hate it.

But this seems like a great way for both organizations to benefit: the kids get free basketballs for no other reason than they get to have fun, and the NBA gets rid of its stash of said basketballs and looks good doing it. Good show all around.

All the NBA needs to do now is move half the teams from the Western Conference into the East. Then maybe we'll have a competitive NBA Finals. But that may be asking too much...