nba
Latest
Yes, Big Baller Brand shoes will be in NBA 2K18
As the fall sports seasons draw closer, we're also getting more information about the fall sports games. NBA 2K18 has highlighted its position as the dominant hoops game -- and squelched the release of NBA Live 18's demo -- by drip feeding tidbits like player ratings and screenshots. This means that not only are players excitedly tweeting out their ratings to start this year's game, but we're also getting a look at what they'll wear on their feet.
You'll need your phone to get into Miami Heat home games
You can't collect ticket stubs for Miami Heat home games anymore, because the team is shifting to mobile-only entry. Even if buy your ticket from American Airlines Arena's box office, you'll still have to present your phone at the entrance to get in. While other teams also have mobile ticketing, Heat is the the first to completely ditch paper tickets. A spokesperson said in a statement that the team decided to go mobile only after looking at figures and realizing that one in three audience member used a digital ticket last season anyway.
WNBA teams make their console debut in ‘NBA Live 18’
It looks like EA is finally getting the idea that women play sports and that video game fans want to see them in their sports titles. Since the video game company has women's soccer teams in soccer sim FIFA, it's now set to add WNBA teams and players to its NBA Live franchise, the latest of which launches on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 in September. This is the first time the official WNBA roster will appear in a video game.
FIFA’s tech ‘experiments’ drag soccer into the modern age
Soccer is the most popular sport in the world. It may not be as big as American football, baseball or basketball in the US -- at least not yet-- but there's a much larger interest in it here now than five or 10 years ago. One of the problems with soccer is that, unlike pro sports organizations such as the NFL, NBA or MLB, it has never been quick to adopt new technology. For decades FIFA, the sport's governing body, opposed cutting-edge ideas that could keep referees from making the wrong calls. "We shall rely on human beings," former FIFA President Sepp Blatter said in 2002. "Players make mistakes, coaches make mistakes and yes, sometimes referees make mistakes. But football is passion, football is emotion. Football has a human touch."
The traditional sports world is taking eSports into the mainstream
Five years ago, you couldn't have imagined video game competitions being broadcasted on the same channel as traditional sports. TV networks have been historically obsessed with pastimes such as baseball, basketball, football and soccer, but times are changing. Thanks to the massive popularity of eSports, driven in large part by the internet-streaming generation, the entertainment landscape has transformed drastically over the past couple of years. Nowadays, US channels like Disney XD, ESPN, NBC and TBS are all trying to put eSports on the same level as traditional sports, with the end goal being to reach new, younger audiences. Want to watch a EA's FIFA or Rocket League tournament on ESPN? Well, you can do just that.
Recommended Reading: Netflix trims its library of original shows
'The Get Down,' 'Sense8' Cancellations Signal That Netflix's Originals Are 'Destructible' Daniel Holloway, Variety In the span of about a week, Netflix cancelled both The Get Down and Sense8 -- two noteworthy series from its slate of original shows. The streaming service seemingly renewed everything, but now a couple of its more anticipated shows won't return. Variety has a look at what this means for the company, including reasons why these two shows in particular won't be coming back. It turns out producing a Baz Luhrmann show is even more expensive than initially anticipated.
The Cavs and Warriors will have their own 'NBA 2K eLeague' teams
The inaugural season of the NBA's "2K eLeague," featuring eSports teams owned by NBA franchises, is looking more promising now than when it was announced in February. Today, the NBA revealed that 17 of its 30 teams will participate in the eSports competition, which it created in partnership with Take-Two Interactive (developer of the NBA2K series) and is scheduled to begin in 2018. Earlier this year, the league had said it only expected about 12 NBA teams to join the project, but clearly it managed to get many more of them interested before launch.
The Morning After: Wednesday, April 26th 2017
In case you missed it yesterday, one Google cofounder is making a flying (kinda) car, while the other has a secret blimp, Uber is having a pretty awful year (already), and there's a for-real tricorder. The makers of it reckon it's better than the Star Trek one. Bold claims.
After Math: Oh, balls
It was a stellar week for spheroids, both the physical and metaphorical varieties. NASA discovered seven new planets (three of which are habitable) just 40 light years away. Ants on golf balls are teaching scientists about insectoid navigation skills. Facebook wants to be a sports broadcaster and the NBA hopes that VR will help revolutionize the game. Numbers, because that's how we keep score.
The NBA hopes VR will expand its audience
This year's NBA All-Star Weekend wasn't just about the iconic Slam Dunk Contest or the riveting game between the best players from the Eastern and Western conferences. Yes, these were certainly the main attractions for attendees and viewers at home, but the event was also an opportunity for the NBA to showcase the ways in which technology will play a role in the future of the game. That future includes wearables, eSports and virtual reality, a medium whose immersive format the league says will help it reach wider audiences.
In the NBA's eSports league, diversity means a new kind of athlete
With millions of gamers willing to watch people play League of Legends or FIFA for fun, major players in the entertainment industry see eSports as an intriguing business opportunity. Earlier this month, the NBA announced a partnership with Take-Two Interactive, developer of the renowned NBA2K franchise, to create a one-of-a-kind eSports league. This new professional gaming competition, known as "NBA 2K eLeague," will be the first owned by a major US sports organization when it starts in 2018. That's assuming the NFL, MLB or MLS don't make any sudden moves before then.
Intel made a drone to help an NBA player in the Slam Dunk Contest
Orlando Magic player Aaron Gordon took things to a whole new level in tonight's NBA Slam Dunk Contest, one of the main events during the league's All-Star Weekend. The 21-year-old worked with Intel on a drone to use an assist prop for his first dunk at the event, something which had obviously never been done before. Unfortunately, it took Gordon a few tries to successfully take the pass from the drone and dunk the ball in the basket, but it was still great to see it happen in the end.
The NBA made an original show for Google's Daydream VR platform
As part of its 2017 All-Star Weekend festivities, the NBA is launching a virtual reality app for Google's Daydream platform. The main piece of NBA VR is a new series called House of Legends, which the league created in partnership with Digital Domain specifically for viewing in 360-degree video. It's a talk show hosted by former NBA players like Bruce Bowen, Chauncey Billups and Robert Horry, where they'll discuss stories from their careers, pop culture and things happening around the league. NBA VR will also feature other on-demand, 360-degree video content, including highlights and tours of teams' arenas.
Stream live NBA games in VR à la carte starting February 23rd
The NBA announced its plan to stream weekly games live in VR last fall and soon there will be a much cheaper à la carte option. Starting February 23rd, basketball fans will be able to watch matchups live in virtual reality without having to pay for an NBA League Pass subscription. Each game will set you back $7 and they'll still be available though the League Pass app. Before now, you had to pay for the $200 TV subscription if you wanted to stream live basketball games in virtual reality. NextVR does say that this is the "introductory price" for the rest of the current season, so the rate may not be permanent.
'NBA 2K eLeague' eSports squads will be owned by NBA teams
In 2018, the NBA will team up with Take Two (maker of the NBA 2K videogame series) for a groundbreaking eSports league. That's because this time, the actual NBA franchises will own eSports teams competing for the championship, similar to the way teams can own, or even share, Development League squads. There's no word on which teams will be the first ones to own one of the 8-12 initial teams in the "NBA 2K eLeague." Each one will feature five human players and the plan is to eventually have one for each of the league's 30 teams.
2K wins right to store your biometric facial data
Video game publisher 2K has just won a lengthy court case over the right to collect and store players' biometric data. Using your console's camera, the company employs face-scanning tech in its popular NBA series, with both 2K's NBA 2K16 and 2K15 using the data to help players create more accurate avatars. When two gamers used the service to create their own digital doppelgangers, they became concerned about how 2K would store and use their biometric data, filing a lawsuit against the publisher in October 2015. In court, however, a New York federal judge has ruled that neither games' biometric face scanning tech had established 'sufficient injury' to the plaintiffs, implying that their concerns over privacy were unfounded.
Live NBA is coming to Google's Daydream VR platform
NextVR has expanded its NBA virtual reality coverage, now offering it on more than one headset and in countries other than the US. Along with the current Samsung Gear VR offering, you can now catch broadcasts on Google's Daydream platform. In addition, viewers in Canada, the UK, Germany and Australia will be able to catch on-demand games and highlights, though live broadcasts are limited to the US.
NBA's new second-screen app syncs with games on TV in real time
The NBA is rolling out a new fantasy sports app called InPlay, which will let fans have a second-screen experience during nationally televised games. It's a slightly different concept than services like Yahoo Fantasy: InPlay syncs stats by recognizing audio from any NBA match being broadcasted on TV, using your iOS or Android device. Once you pick the player you think is going to do well, the application will show you how many points he's earning you in real time. And if you end up outperforming everyone else playing the game, the league says you could win official NBA swag. You can download it now from the App Store or Google Play, but you won't be able to play it until tonight's games. After that, the app should work with broadcasts on ABC, ESPN, NBA TV and TNT.
The first 4K NBA broadcast in the US happens tonight on DirecTV
NBA fans in the US will get their first chance to check out a live game in 4K Ultra HD on Saturday night when the Utah Jazz visit the Denver Nuggets. The broadcast will be available via DirecTV if you have the proper package and equipment (Genie HR54 DVR), as AT&T is working with NBA TV on the broadcast. In early 2015 (pre-Porzingis), the NBA did a very limited test 4K broadcast of a Knicks game, and in January it tried one on UK and Canadian TV, but this is apparently the first one available widely in the US. Keen-eyed forum posters noticed another Nuggets home game listed as 4K in November, but it's unclear whether that one was actually in 4K. Additional 4K games are planned, although there's no word yet on which ones.
WSJ: Amazon ponders live sports on Prime
Amazon already offers a robust library of movies and television for streaming, but the online retailer could be looking to tackle one of the last remaining strongholds of pay television. The Wall Street Journal reports the company has held talks over the last few months with the NBA, MLB, NFL and MLS. Amazon has reportedly also met with the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), which has it's own network with a hand from ESPN, in addition to Campus Insiders and 120 Sports for college athletics coverage.
