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Twitter is streaming live commentary shows for the NCAA's Final Four
Twitter is following March Madness with a frenzy of coverage for the basketball season's end. The social network is streaming an as-it-happens NCAA Final Four commentary show through @marchmadness, Final Four Twitter Live, starting with the Auburn vs. Virginia game on April 6th (that's right now, if you're watching in time) and wrapping up with a championship show on April 8th at 9PM Eastern. Whenever you tune in, the Turner Sports-produced show will "highlight" the Twitter discussions around each game using a host of analysts, reporters and special guests (such as Tiki Barber and Takeo Spikes).
NBA’s Magic Leap app lets you watch basketball in augmented reality
Basketball fans can now experience the game in augmented reality. The NBA now has a mixed-reality app for the Magic Leap One headset that will allow for a wide range of immersive features. Fans with the mixed-reality headset can now view live NBA games, game replays, and highlights across multiple virtual "screens."
A guide to watching March Madness
Conference tournaments are over. The 68-team field is set. It's officially time for March Madness. While technically the first game is on Tuesday, we all know the real action begins later in the week. This Thursday and Friday are arguably the two biggest days of the year in sports (and likely the two least-productive days at your job). However, the 2019 NCAA Tournament officially begins Tuesday and Wednesday (March 19th and 20th) with two First Four matchups -- or as the purists call them, play-in games. Both of those games will air on truTV, but if you have a cable log-in, you can stream them through the March Madness Live app.
NCAA March Madness Live streams on Oculus Go
It'll be particularly easy to stream NCAA March Madness games this year, especially if you'd rather watch matches in total privacy. The NCAA and CBS are making the March Madness Live app available on 17 platforms for 2019, including first-time support for Android TV (shown above) and Oculus Go. That last addition could be particularly helpful if you live in a packed household -- you could have a big-screen game experience (including the 21 VR-native broadcasts) without monopolizing the TV or your phone.
NBA smart jersey switches your player allegiances on the fly
Sports jerseys are big commitments for fans -- you're betting that your favorite player won't switch teams, take a nose dive or otherwise prove embarrassing. In the future, though, you might just have to pull out your phone to change allegiances. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has demonstrated a smart, jersey that would switch the player name and number in a matter of seconds. If you're disappointed in a star forward or just want to root for a different team while they're in town, you could give yourself a 'new' jersey by launching a phone app.
Unboxing Nike's self-lacing Adapt BB sneakers is like opening a smartphone
It was exactly a month ago that Nike took the wraps off of Adapt BB, its latest pair of shoes with power laces, and now the company is finally ready to bring them to the masses. The Adapt BB will launch globally on February 17th, although some lucky people have already been able to get them through Nike's SNKRS app. Unlike the HyperAdapt 1.0 from 2017, which were more of a concept project, the Adapt BBs are intended to be performance shoes for basketball players. They're also smarter than the HyperAdapts, thanks to a mobile app that pairs with the shoes via Bluetooth and lets users adjust how the laces fit. You can also use the Adapt application, available for iOS and Android, to change the two LED colors on the shoes.
NBA refs will return to Twitter to answer fans' questions
Last year during the NBA finals, some of the league's refs took to Twitter in order to discuss calls made during a game and answer fans' questions. Feedback was positive, ESPN reports. Positive enough for the NBA and the National Basketball Referees Association to decide to do it again this season but during even more games. For the first two #RefWatchParty events this season, referees will engage with fans when the Golden State Warriors take on the Los Angeles Lakers on the 21st and during the San Antonio Spurs and Philadelphia 76ers game on the 23rd.
A closer look at Nike's Adapt BB auto-lacing basketball shoes
Back in December of last year, Nike revealed during its quarterly earnings call that it was getting ready to introduce a $350 self-lacing basketball shoe. Ever since, sneakerheads have been highly anticipating the successor to the 2016 HyperAdapt 1.0, Nike's first consumer-grade sneaker with power laces. And now it's finally here. Enter the Adapt BB, an auto-lacing, app-controlled basketball shoe that's packing a ton of technology inside it. The highlight here, as you might expect, is a smart motor that automatically adjusts the lacing system to fit perfectly around your foot as soon as you put the shoe on.
Nike's Adapt BB is an app-controlled, self-lacing basketball shoe
We knew they were coming, but Nike has officially introduced its first self-lacing basketball shoes, the Adapt BB. These new sneakers are designed to provide a "truly customized fit for every basketball player," according to the company, thanks to a power-lacing system called FitAdapt that can be adjusted manually or with a smartphone app. The sportswear giant says that over the course of a basketball game, a player's foot can expand almost a half-size, which can affect their comfort level and ultimately have an impact on their movement and performance on the court. That's the problem Nike is looking to solve with Adapt BB.
Nike teases self-lacing shoes you can control from your phone
Ahead of the launch of its first self-lacing basketball shoes this week, Nike just posted a major tease to get people hyped. And while we can't see what the sneakers actually look like, it does appear you'll be able to adjust their power laces using your smartphone, based on a video featuring various NBA athletes trying them out. This would be a notable change compared to the HyperAdapt 1.0 from 2016, which had no wireless connectivity and, instead, came with physical power buttons that let you lace up the shoes. Another big difference is that the upcoming self-lacing sneakers are only expected to cost $350, much less than the $720 of the original HyperAdapts. That's all we know so far, but we'll find out everything about "the future of the game" of basketball tomorrow, so stay tuned to our site for more coverage from Nike's event.
Jack Dorsey talks NBA Twitter and Kevin Durant's burner account
Fresh off the announcement of a new partnership between Twitter and the NBA, today CEO Jack Dorsey sat down with the league's Commissioner Adam Silver at CES 2019. They talked about NBA games coming to Twitter for the first time, which won't be like any sports stream. Rather than watching a typical NBA broadcast, the Twitter camera feed is going to focus on single players, and users will be able to vote to choose whose view they want to get during a game. Dorsey said these livestreams are designed to be a "great complimentary experience" to the games you're watching on TV, rather than the primary source of entertainment.
Twitter's upcoming NBA streams will focus on single players
Twitter is no stranger to sports content, but when it airs 20 NBA games later this year, it will be doing something a little different. Only the second half of those games will air and coverage will be focused on one, single player. Who that player is will be determined by a vote hosted on Twitter. The streams will feature both regular season and playoff games, and they'll debut with the All-Star Game on February 17th.
Nike's first self-lacing basketball shoes go on sale in 2019 for $350
If you've always wanted to play basketball in a pair of self-lacing shoes like Marty McFly's Nike Mags, you will get your chance next year. On the company's quarterly earnings call executives revealed plans for an "Adaptive" performance basketball shoe in 2019 that will cost around $350. Two years ago we got our first look at the HyperAdapt self-fitting technology in a $720 low-cut training shoe, but this technology will be cheaper and probably lighter, and obviously more athletically-inclined than the 2015 Nike Mag (shown above).
Nike’s new PlayStation sneakers pay homage to Sony’s classic console
The first week of December couldn't get much better for PlayStation fans. On top of the launch of Sony's miniature PS Classic on December 3rd, Nike also has something in store for them in the next few days. On December 1st, the sportswear giant will launch the second edition of its PlayStation-themed signature basketball shoes, designed for NBA superstar Paul George. Like the original shoes from earlier this year, the new PG 2.5 x PlayStation are inspired by Sony's gaming console, but this pair takes all of its cues from the original PlayStation rather than the PS4.
Nike's latest PlayStation shoe celebrates a classic look
After turning gamers into hypebeasts with a PlayStation-themed Nike release earlier this year, Paul George debuted a console-themed version of his PG 2.5 sneaker in a game tonight against the Golden State Warriors. Appropriately timed near the release of the PlayStation Classic mini-console, this PG 2.5 X PlayStation pair pays homage to the original system with its original gray color plus a PS logo on the tongue of the left shoe. Alone, it doesn't quite match the cool factor of the DualShock-like PG2 PlayStation's light-up tongue, (these still light up) but it will still have the consistent flair even after its batteries wear out. Other PlayStation Nikes have focused on the Air Force 1, which saw a QuickStrike release last year at E3 (we doubt that will happen in 2019 for obvious reasons) after limited releases in 2006 and 2009. If you'd like to get a pair of these, keep an eye on Nike's SNKRS app and "select" retailers December 1st.
NBA League Pass transforms games into VR viewing parties
Live sports broadcasts in VR tend to be solitary affairs, but they're about to become decidedly more social. Now that the 2018-2019 NBA season is getting underway, NBA League Pass and NextVR have revealed that they're offering shared viewing through Oculus Venues. If there's a friend across the country who can't show up to watch a game in person, they can don a VR headset and enjoy that sense of camaraderie. You'll even unlock a team jersey for your avatar if you tune in, so you can rep your favorite squad whenever you like.
YouTube TV adds NBA League Pass for cord-cutting sports fans
If you're all-in on YouTube TV and want more basketball in the mix, that's an option now. For $40 a month, you can add NBA League Pass to your subscription, or you can pay $249 for the entire 2018-2019 season up front -- as spotted by Cordcutters. This means you'll get every out of market game, commercial-free. Earlier this year, YouTube TV added MLB.tv to its sports streaming lineup, and it launched with the MLB Network and others for watching live games and sporting events. All that to say, the streaming service has slowly become a solid destination for sports fans since arriving early last year.
Sacramento Kings use next-gen texting to send tickets and schedules
The Sacramento Kings are still as obsessed with technology as ever, although their latest move could be particularly helpful in the long run. The basketball team has teamed up with Zipwhip to become the first pro sports outfit to use next-gen RCS texting. The richer format lets the Kings send tickets, schedules and other rich info without making you check your email or use a specialized app -- you can just use the same texting app you would to message your friends.
Start your 'NBA 2K19' MyCareer before the game is even out
NBA 2K19 doesn't come out until September 7th (Anniversary Edition), but those of you who are impatiently waiting for the game can get a good taste for it starting today. Thanks to the Prelude demo, you can can play the first chapter of this year's MyCareer mode on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles, and you'll be able to take any progress you make with you once you get the full copy. In 2K19, the story mode is called "The Way Back," which will let you take your custom player on a journey from China to the G-League and, finally, the NBA.
NBA esports league adds four teams to its 2019 season
New teams are signing up for the NBA 2K League's second season before the inaugural run has even finished. The esports organization is adding the Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, LA Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves to its 2019 season, boosting the total count to 21. You'll need to wait for the draft to see who plays on the basketball teams' behalf, but it's safe to presume they'll once again be chosen from a pool of qualifying players.
