Ask any casual basketball fan; they’ll probably tell you the same thing — there is really nothing inherently wrong with the current standard court. But if an invention from FIBA becomes more widespread worldwide, we might have to start considering a new precedent.
This weekend, after rule changes from last year allowed FIBA to install LED glass basketball courts, the organization formally introduced these state-of-the-art floors during the 2023 FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup.
And while it’s still early in the process, the first impressions make these reactive courts look very intuitive and very cool.
A comprehensive video from FIBA demonstrates what these LED courts are capable of:
Welcome to the future of basketball 😍#FIBAU19 pic.twitter.com/rfl8mnAaNN
— FIBA (@FIBA) July 23, 2023
While flashy and eye-catching, I’m not sure how I feel about this development. Knowing how American teams operate, it feels inevitable that advertisements would litter the floor. (Then again, it’s not as if FIBA doesn’t overload games with commercials anyway.) Never mind how the shifting graphics seem distracting for the players and are almost certainly taking away from the, you know, ongoing basketball.
I think this invention is a step forward for the sport, but I’m not optimistic it’s about actually making basketball “better,” per se.
This was how Twitter reacted to the LED courts
Hardwood courts are about to be the rotary phone. https://t.co/rMJsRE9gCk
— Dante Luciani (@danteluciani) July 23, 2023
FINALLY. I've been waiting for this. https://t.co/gdUgLPvXWm
— Courtney J. Brooks, MBA (@_CJBrooks) July 23, 2023
Some things should just be left alone. Nothing wrong with the ol’ hardwood! https://t.co/AdU4pymEv8
— Tobi Altizer (@Tobi_Altizer) July 23, 2023
Looks nice, but completely distracting https://t.co/c9MMhhLzfd
— Styles of Beyond (@VeekthorOdinson) July 23, 2023
Very interesting concept. Questionable practicality https://t.co/lQ2aflUW04
— Drew (@drewblarson) July 23, 2023
This led glass floor is 🔥🔥#Fiba pic.twitter.com/T1aZmF3PF7
— Elhaboubati (@ghasshaboubati) July 23, 2023
The new FIBA led glass floors are so super cool. Customizable, reactive to play etc. The NBA need to bring this home. Will make the game more exciting to watch
— sectre (@Sir_Benneh) July 23, 2023
Cool! As long as the traction and bounce of the floor is the same as a traditional court https://t.co/o9mW1MUyue
— Not that Pat Riley (@_PatRiley33) July 23, 2023
Yooooo 👀
I’ve been talking about this for YEARS! How incredible will it be to overlay real-time shooting heat maps, opposition scout, network analysis, live ball-movement, playbooks, and wearable workload outputs.
The possibilities are endless.https://t.co/YgOZjxqcvj
— Adam Ringler (@AdamRingler) July 23, 2023
