Modern Tech in the NBA...2016 & Beyond
Out of all four major sports, it looks like the NBA is by far the leading proponent of infusing modern technology into the sport. They even have a yearly tech summit to discuss all things tech. Movement tracking cameras, digital whistles, and sleep tracking software are just a few of the modern tech infusements that the NBA is employing.
All eyes are currently on the NBA, as their season is currently culminating with the dramatic NBA Finals (although to be fair, the NHL Stanley Cup is also taking place). Without further ado, let's break down some of the more interesting modern tech that is currently being employed by the league.
Advanced Movement Cameras
If one has even a passing interest in the NBA, then surely he or she has heard of Sport VU by now. I'll let them explain it:
STATS SportVU® utilizes a six-camera system installed in basketball arenas to track the real-time positions of players and the ball 25 times per second. Utilizing this tracking data, STATS is able to create a wealth of innovative statistics based on speed, distance, player separation and ball possession.
Basically, this advanced camera system will allow for groundbreaking data that both teams and fans can utilize. This system allows for performance metrics that were previously unavailable, and will allow teams to both maximize and optimize the performances of all players. It will provide great insight for seeing where players need to improve, and showing how with a few tweaks they will be able to change their games for the better.
Digital Whistles
Who would have thought that digital whistles are faster than regular whistles? Well, it turns out that a digital whistle allows for a slightly faster reaction time from a referee. Although the exact number is unclear, digital whistles shave off a portion of a second from a regular whistle, making the game run more smoothly and quickly. It's also much safer for players to hear a whistle sooner than later, as they will stop play instead of continuing, and avoid risking injury.
The technology here is an audio frequency which derives from three frequencies that compose the core of the sound emitted, which is immediately picked up by a digital sensor from PrecisionTime. Simultaneously, this automatically stops the shot clock, which is hooked up to the scoreboard. Though it's a lot of action, it all happens quicker than the blink of an eye.
8 Hours a Day Keeps the Doctor Away
Who said anything about apples? Sleep is what keeps us healthy, and even more so for athletes. It's no secret that people function best with a minimum of 7 hours of sleep, and ideally with 8. But what about athletes? Or, for the sake of this article, how about basketball players?
The obvious study to look at occurred at Stanford by Professor Cheri Mah, who is one of the world's most renown experts on the effects of sleep and sports performance. She conducted a study in 2011 in which she measured the nightly sleep of 11 basketball players from Stanford's men's basketball team. Each player spent 10 hours in bed per night, ostensibly sleeping for at least 8 of the hours. At the conclusion of the study, it was found that sprint times of these players increased overall, free-throw accuracy increased by +9 percent, and more even more impressive, 3 point accuracy improved by +9.2 percent.
The NBA front office is well aware that more sleep produces a higher level of competition, and has already taken action in the form of limiting games on back to back nights. Teams that arrive in the middle of the night are striving to give their players a longer and more continuous stretch at night to sleep, with morning shoot-arounds pushed to slightly later in the day.
The tech being used to optimize sleep is the Jawbone, most publically supported by Andre Iguodala. As last year's Finals MVP, Andre's devotion to solid sleep habits drew a lot of attention around the league.
Future Tech in the NBA
In terms of the what the future holds there is certainly no limit. Transcranial stimulation is one interesting but perhaps jarring tech: it sends a jolt or wave to one's brain, and it is purported that this will improve the mechanics and therefore the shooting percentage of a basketball player. "Tech tattoos", developed by Chaotic Moon, is another far-in-the-future piece of tech that is a fabric-like device that lives on an athlete's arm and collects useful data which can then be used to improve shooting form and precision.
Regardless of where the future of tech is in regard to the NBA, one thing is certain: it's going up, up, and away.
