There will be a new signature on the NBA ball when teams play Saturday night.
Instead of the familiar script of former commissioner David J. Stern, displayed on the ball will be the John Hancock of his replacement, Adam Silver.
Spalding, the official ball for Stern's entire 30-year reign, originally had planned to use the Stern-signed balls through the entire season, partly because the company was concerned about breaking in the balls.
But that was solved by putting the Silver-signed balls on practice racks soon after the season started.
A Spalding representative said that the Silver-signed balls will be available Saturday at sporting goods retailers that have not sold out of Stern inventory. The Silver-signed balls are identical to the previous ball in weight, dimension and feel.
The suggested retail price of the ball varies from $139 to $159.