"The new ball is, well, challenging," Anthony, the NBA's leading scorer, said flashing a wide grin. "It was like a furball. It's real, real light. So when you think the shot is good, you might shoot an airball.

"You have to adjust every time you shoot."

NBA Commissioner David Stern realized he double-dribbled by introducing a new composite ball this season and nearly three weeks ago announced the league would revert to its longstanding leather basketball on January 1.

The move drew near-unanimous applause from the players. Returning to the leather ball in midseason may not be easy, however.

"It's going to be tough," Anthony told Reuters in a locker room interview. "People fail to realize, we have to adjust back to the old ball. It's going to be weird. But at this point, we got what we wanted, so we'll have to roll with it."

Anthony, who has a 31.6 average, will have more time to adjust than most while he sits out the remainder of his 15-game suspension for fighting. He returns to the court on January 22.

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