The digital revolution has enriched and revolutionized countless lives, including sports. The changes have also affected the sporting community with wearable technology, progressive statistics, computerized NBA odds, and a plethora of other related technologies currently dominating the association.
The NBA and its staff have shown a special openness to innovative concepts, programs, and technology. These and other developments are changing how fans view, assess, and engage in-game performance.
Basketball is about to undergo a tidal change, and many players and spectators are getting ready to be swept up. This all-around spread is irrespective of the fact that performance analytics for athletics is yet to trend.
We can see a new wave of technology intended to analyze, measure, and improve performance on a level unknown to professional sports.
Major Tech Revolutions Shaping the NBA
1. Introduction of VU Sporting Cameras
SportVU is an automated tracking and identification system that record information about the locations of the players, balls, and referees during a game. Precise x and y coordinates track players, officials, and the ball simultaneously.
The software examines the video 25 times per second, recording details about who is where and what is happening. Every game with over 1,000,000 new entries is added to existing databases.
Without needing to chart and follow a game by hand and sight, it’s now possible to see the player’s position and how close a defender is to a player. The SportVU tech essentially helps dictate strategies by making game movements more visible.
The NBA gathers a lot of information from these stats. Every aspect of the game creates a mind-boggling number of statistics and figures, from contested rebounds to passes made, shooting percentages, and defenses. Hard, verifiable facts can support decisions made by managers, coaches, and executives.
Tangible data can be the cornerstone of a great strategy for a team. Do you need to know who made the most successful blocks, thefts, and turnovers? Simple. Everything is there in plain sight, giving the clever coaches quality information they need to plot their next triumph.
Although this feature is an important resource for administrators and coaches, the data is also made available to the general public on the NBA website so that spectators can also explore the game’s unofficial statistics.
2. Adoption of Social Media
The rise of the social media phenomenon has altered how sports fans, writers, and athletes communicate with one another. There are a large number of individuals “live tweeting” every NBA game. More quickly than ever, their responses, analyses, and —possibly most importantly— highlights are seen and heard.
This fact may sound rather apparent, and in all honesty, it is, but social media’s influence on NBA basketball culture continues to deepen. Players manage their profiles and post during or after games to further personalize the experience.
For instance, fans could follow the live action directly from their social accounts, thanks to Twitter’s technological assistance in creating a customized timeline for the finals.
The functionality made it simple to reflect on the Finals’ notable moments and in-game conversations. To stay updated, anyone who missed bits of the action can easily search for the relevant hashtags.
3. Body Sensor Wears and Chips
Wearable sensors and microchips are now fundamental parts of the jerseys of numerous NBA teams. The device will allow the teams’ technical bench to monitor important factors, including player workload, rehabilitation progress, leaping, acceleration, and more. The microchips have been a huge success because they don’t compromise the athletes’ comfort while playing.
Heart monitors, replay analyzers, and shot trackers have become essential training tools for basketball teams. Sensors that supply the management with data on jump acceleration, rotation, and hang time provide priceless insight on how to most effectively use specific athletes and how to carefully avoid injury.
This tech benefits the NBA in several ways. Franchises will be able to keep everyone, from their stars to their benchwarmers, better equipped throughout the season if they can minimize and detect injuries while evaluating training loads. This adapted feature has become a necessity due to its health advantages, as physically fit athletes make the game more enjoyable for everyone.
4. Use of Mobile Gadgets and Devices
Mobile devices are increasingly influencing NBA teams. Around the league, coaches using tablets while watching games has become standard. The dry-erase marker and whiteboard had a successful run, but smartphones, tablets and other mobile gadgets provide countless more options.
Mobile devices have impacted basketball more exclusively than Twitter and Facebook posts. It is recommended that coaches utilize them to set up a live locker room environment on the sidelines for players to analyze errors and improve on them.
5. Utilization of AR and VR Technology
The NBA is also utilizing augmented and virtual reality in many of its operations. Players can better their play, and teams can strengthen fan interactions with AR and VR technologies.
The Washington Wizards have led the way in using VR for player development. To assist players in practicing the game’s mental components, the team uses VR headsets. For instance, reserve center Ian Mahinmi practiced his free-throw shooting with a VR program. Mahinmi went from a career foul shooting percentage of 61% to 70% last season and went on to fire at an amazing 87% clip during a preseason game.
6. Advanced Mobile Apps for Team Development
The NBA launched an advanced application in October 2017 as part of its use of AR to engage fans. Fans can relive significant moments from the 2018 NBA Playoffs using the 360 Portals feature of the app, which is accessible on both iPhone and Android smartphones.
One major objective of the 360 Portals is to grant its die-hard followers the pleasures of experiencing the court thrills from behind the scenes through AR tech.
Also, there’s Coaches Eye. Every mobile operating system can use Coaches Eye software. Trainers, coaches, and guardians can record basketball players using the app during practices or games.
The program allows you to get side-by-side comparisons, quick or slow motion replays, and many other developmental features.
Conclusion
Being a forerunner pays off when new technology appears on the radar. There’s no assurance of the future for gadgets, wearable technology, data collection, and other analytics. We can only assume more advancements will be made to place the game of basketball at the top of every cutting-edge sport available.
So, what’s your take on the fast-rising development of tech in sports? The world is digitally transforming, and no industry can afford to be stagnant. Not even the NBA.
