Basketball was invented back in 1861 by James Naismith, and it required a ball, two baskets, and a court. How much simpler could it be?
Nowadays, basketball evolved into being a billion-dollar sport with optimized rules, and technological advancements that changed the sport forever.
Since we are surrounded by technology, it is hard to notice the technological changes that reshaped this spirit. That’s why we decided to highlight some of the technological advancements that changed the world of basketball forever.
Shot clock
It seems like the biggest transformation in NBA basketball history is the introduction of the shot clock back in 1954. Just as a comparison, the lowest-scoring NBA game since the shot clock was added was between the Milwaukee Hawks and Boston Celtics which finished 57-62.
Only 119 points were scored, which is a lot when you look at the time before the shot clock. The lowest-scoring game before the shot clock was between the Minneapolis Lakers and Fort Wayne Pistons which finished 18-19. A mere 37 points in total, making it hard to believe at today’s standards.
Before the clock, teams played keep-away the entire game. The clock spiced things up in the league and now half-minute of keep-away costs you a turnover.
Improved officiating
Back in the days, the buzzer sounded like a shot was fired. It was hard for referees to precisely determine whether a play go the shot off in time.
It might seem like not so important aspect of the game, but many people remember the finals in 2002 between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Sacramento Kings and the points from the first half buzzer in game 4. If you check the replay, you can see Walker’s shot left his hand after the time has expired, but the shot still counted and the Lakers won the game 100-99.
Nowadays, many other things can help referees make a precise decisions.
Apart from the upgrade to the buzzer, the NBA now has instant replays which allow officials to look at the play from a couple of different angles and make the right decision.
The backboard now has red LED lights that glow when the game clock expires, and the precious seconds on the game clock are more accurate.
Nowadays, NBA is all about precision. They even installed a sensing device on referees’ whistles, so when the ref blows his whistle, the clock automatically stops. They also have a tiny button on their waist to restart the clock.
Backboard breaking
We cannot explain why a breaking backboard and rain of glass after a dunk looks very satisfying for fans, but the shattered glass increases the potential injuries, game delays and cancellations in some cases.
This meant that the NBA must find a solution to this problem. They hired Arthur Ehrat who held two patents for farming equipment to come up with a way to stop the backboard from breaking.
Using innovative technology, they managed to build an unbreakable glass frame, so the only chance you’ll see a backboard break is in a video game.
Athlete tracking
Nowadays it is much easier to track athlete’s health in real-time. Most of the athletes are wearing tracking sensors that measure their vital health functions in a game. This helps trainers and their medical staff to prevent injuries and shows whether or not they are using their full potential.
On top of that, tracking functions can be used for many other activities, like training and making strategies. Additionally, we can get instant statistical analysis about the game which can be very useful, especially for betting.
Live streaming
Last but not least, we have live streaming as a technology that revolutionized and popularized the sport. Back in the day, the only way you can watch NBA was through TV channels that were only limited to certain countries.
Nowadays, all you need is an internet connection and a subscription and you can access your favorite games from every part of the world. Plus, you can bet on live games and follow live basketball odds on websites such as TwinSpires: https://edge.twinspires.com/nba/odds/
Thanks to streaming technologies we can now look at highlights and instant replays of some of the most exciting moments in NBA games.