This year, at the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, the NBA experimented with a new LED basketball court that they debuted for the evening events on Friday and Saturday. In essence, the league used the court for every event leading up to the all-star game, but stuck with the generic hardwood court style for the more anticipated event. The new LED court, which has the ability to project any image, icon, or video on its surface, brings an experience that resembles watching people play basketball on the surface of an electronic screen.
The individuality of each event came alive when the court projected different images and effects for different events. For example, in the “Ruffle’s NBA All-Star Celebrity Game” on Friday night, the court projected special effects when a player made a shot, and even took part in a new method of advertising – as noted by the “Ruffle’s four-point shot line” moving back and forth on the court. Similarly, during the “STARRY 3-Point Contest”, the court projected a neon green light to match the brand’s signature color, creating a special effect when a player made a shot from “STARRY Range”
Aside from advertisement purposes, the court projected simple effects to enhance a viewer’s experience throughout the weekend. For instance, in the “KIA Skills Challenge,” pathways and specific spots that players were required to shoot from were both present on the court’s surface.
While the NBA clearly had monetary ambitions through advertisement advancements, the ability for the court to create aesthetic adaptations to whichever event was taking place made for an exciting experiment for the NBA to take on. As a viewer and consistent fan of the NBA, I found the court to be a great addition to the usual All-Star Weekend broadcasting and festivities. However, I strongly hope that the NBA keeps its state of the art court away from regular season and playoff games. While certain methods of marketing and appeasement towards better visual appearances can make the game more enjoyable, at its core, a basketball game is about watching players compete in a game that so many love. I fear that a possible addition of this magnitude would ultimately contribute to distraction rather than to overall improvement for the game and league.
