Some of the NBA's biggest stars, including Shaquille O'Neal, Dwyane Wade and Steve Nash, have complained about the ball, saying it's sticky when dry and too slippery when wet.

"To make me feel better, I went back and looked at reactions when Adidas introduced its new soccer ball," Stern said Wednesday. "There was virtually identical commentary."

The Adidas ball, introduced ahead of this year's World Cup, was met with heavy criticism from many players, especially goalkeepers. But few complaints were heard during the tournament.

O'Neal said the new basketball "feels like one of those cheap balls that you buy at the toy store, indoor-outdoor balls."

Stern, who is in Cologne to attend the final day of a four-team tournament that includes the Phoenix Suns and Philadelphia 76ers, said he would keep monitoring the situation.

"But as the players get more used to it, it will become less and less of an issue for us," Stern said.

Stern also said NBA teams will continue to tour Europe for preseason games, and said the current trip was a "complete success" _ apart from seeing a fan in Cologne wearing a counterfeit Allen Iverson jersey in Seattle SuperSonics colors.

"Then I knew there was some hanky-panky. It was over the top," Stern said with a chuckle.

The Los Angeles Clippers and the San Antonio Spurs have also been playing in Europe, and Stern said there was a long list of cities eager to host NBA teams, including London.

"We'd like to make this an annual affair. Players have been very happy, they have been enriched by the experience," Stern said.