The NBA Is Unveiling A New Interactive LED Court For Their All Star Weekend And It Looks Trippy As Hell
Dylan Buell. Getty Images.
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If there's one thing Adam Silver isn't afraid to do, it's try new things when it comes to his league. The Play In, the In Season Tournament, new courts, new jerseys etc, he is certainly not someone who is against change. Some have worked out better than others, and here it looks like we have his latest idea. A full LED court of the All Star weekend.
Did anyone ask for this? I can't imagine so. In fact, some might even argue that the color courts from the IST were more distracting than anything else. But just like when those were first released and it required people to have an open mind, the same is true for this idea as well.
I think there's potential for this to be pretty cool, as long as it's used properly. While I can't say I've ever wondered what it was like to watch the All Star festivities while tripping on acid, it might be fun. Who knows? I could see a world where someone takes off from the FT line in the Dunk Contest and it looks like they're jumping over the Grand Canyon or some shit. The possibilities are endless
It is somewhat intriguing to see how they incorporate highlights/real time stats into a game, sort of like Amazon does for football. I think there's potential out there to have a feed where you can see a guy's stats, what play the team ran etc. For basketball junkies, that's a pretty intriguing idea. Maybe throw up a player's shot chart if he's having a crazy night, stuff like that. As long as it doesn't take away too much from the product, those sort of elements can help the viewer.
Granted, I'd much prefer the league spend their time and resources fixing League Pass, but it's clear where the NBA is headed in terms of technology and making things more interactive, so this might be one of those things where we have to actually see it to get a sense of what this is. At least the league is using it during the All Star weekend and not messing around with actual games, and I'm sure the "olds" will hate it just like they did with the IST courts. People hate change, especially when it's excessive like this.
When it comes to the All Star weekend, I'm a simple guy. Just give me the old all star jerseys and I'm happy. But I also know that with each passing day I get closer and closer to being an "old", and the NBA needs to be thinking about the next generation and how they consume their product. Personally all I need to watch All Star weekend is an entertaining Dunk Contest and a game in which the players actually give a shit. I don't need the fancy bells and whistles, but I understand that this is what will help attract new and younger viewers.
So, cool idea I guess? As long as the court isn't slippery like the IST courts, I'm willing to have an open mind.