INDIANAPOLIS — A state-of-the-art, full video LED court will be center stage for the NBA All-Star 2024 events at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The NBA unveiled the court that will be used for Friday and Saturday night’s events during NBA All-Star Weekend.
The high-performance, immersive sports floor is designed to enhance the fan experience in-arena and on broadcast through its interactive displays, according to the NBA.
Christof Babinsky and his team at ASB GlassFloors, a German-based company, worked with the NBA to create the special effects that fans will see over the weekend.
"We use different kind of athlete-tracking systems we combine with our whole technology side," he said.
The technology allows them to track an athlete's location on the floor, how fast they're moving and how high they jump.
"It allows us to create interactive training drills," said Babinsky. "In the future, we can create show elements and we can create basic but fun games."
The court itself is actually two layers of laminated safety glass, each five millimeters thick, the NBA said. The surface is opaque, and all the designs will be provided by the LED panels. Courts will have a different look for each event — and part of what'll be displayed are real-time game stats, replays, video content and even player tracking animations.
The NBA experimented with court design changes earlier this season, when it used different-looking surfaces for the In-Season Tournament. Those courts were still the traditional wood, just with a different paint scheme.
The glass surface plays almost exactly the same way wood does, in terms of bounce and feel.
“What does it feel like? Does it have traction? Does it have give? Those were the questions that came to mind right away when you hear about this court,” the NBA's executive vice president for basketball operations Joe Dumars said. “And they were answered to our satisfaction.”
Babinsky said the court’s benefit doesn't stop at the cool display designs and tracking. The way the floor is crafted puts athletes at less risk for an ankle injury because of the special grip, he said.
"When you initially tell a high-end athlete that he should be doing sports made from glass, he thinks these Germans have lost it," Babinsky said. "On our floor we have ceramic dirt that are permanently burned into the glass surface making a grain, so the rubber sole receives friction."
He said teaming up with the NBA to show off the features on an international platform will allow the world to see its value.
The events include the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game on Friday, Feb. 16 and All-Star Saturday Night. The Saturday lineup includes the Skills Challenge, the 3-Point Contest, the first-ever NBA vs. WNBA 3-Point Challenge and the Slam Dunk Contest.
During each event, visual effects displayed on the court will include:
- Design and color changes
- Live replays and other video content
- Real-time game stats
- Location-based player tracking animations
- Interactive games for fans during timeouts
- Immersive animations following key plays and moments
The NBA All-Star Celebrity Game will air at 7 p.m. EST on ESPN. The All-Star Saturday Night festivities will be broadcast by TNT, starting at 8 p.m. EST.
Additional previews of the LED court will be shared across the league’s social channels in the coming weeks ahead of NBA All-Star 2024, the organization said in a release.
The announcement comes as Indy prepares to host a full slate of events for the 2024 NBA All-Star Game.
(The Associated Press contributed to this story.)