The NBA is Innovative: The History of Innovation in the NBA
The best players in the world need the best equipment to compete. In order to give each player the tools they need to succeed, innovations have been made continuously within the NBA since its inaugural season. With so much change comes an accelerated pace of innovation, which shows no sign of slowing down. The league has seen many trends and innovations in its brief existence.
From development of new technologies and materials to revolutionary sports science advancements, innovation within the NBA is constantly evolving. Let’s take a look at some of the most groundbreaking innovations that have taken place within the NBA over time.
Sports Science and Technology
The early days of the NBA saw players developing chronic injuries at alarming rates. In order to better understand and prevent such injuries, many prominent NBA franchises began to invest in sports science and technology. To combat deteriorating eyesight, the Washington Bullets had their players wear goggles during games. In the mid-90s, the Charlotte Hornets were the first NBA franchise to have their players wear contact lenses during games. In 2004, the Milwaukee Bucks became the first NBA franchise to have their players wear motion sensing cameras during games.
This technology allowed the Bucks to have greatly enhanced communications between players, coaches and team executives. The Los Angeles Lakers have been another franchise that has been heavily investing in sports science and technology. In order to keep their players healthy, the Lakers have implemented several innovations.
One of these innovations is the use of hyperbaric oxygen chambers. Hyperbaric chambers are used to treat patients who suffer from decompression sickness. Players suffering from decompression sickness would often experience headaches and nausea, both of which are treated by hyperbaric oxygen therapy. The Lakers would often use hyperbaric chambers to treat players suffering from headaches associated with dehydration.
Video Game Tech
The NBA’s first video game was released in 1985 by the arcade game company Ataris. The game featured Julius “Dr. J” Erving and his Philadelphia 76ers taking on the New York Knicks and their future hall-of-famer center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. This match-up is still playable in the game today, and is also featured in the 1986 NBA video game by the same name.
Since its inception, the NBA has seen a number of breakthroughs in video game technology. The NBA is innovative and the most notable advancement is the inclusion of real-life players in NBA video games. The first NBA video game to include real players was NBA 2K5, released in 2005. Since then, the NBA has seen a huge increase in the popularity of video games. To keep up with this growth, NBA video games have been continually innovating
3-D Printing
3-D printing is a process that uses digital models to create physical objects. In recent years, this technology has seen incredible growth. It is now possible to 3-D print nearly anything from cars to food. As with almost anything involving technology, one major change could result in a revolutionary shift. Back in the 1980s, 3-D printing was still in its infancy.
Even though it had been around for nearly two decades, it was largely considered a novelty. Then, in 1988, a team of engineers at the Hughes Aircraft Company developed a 3-D printing prototype. Although this prototype was never used by the company, it was significant in that it was the first production-scale 3-D printing system
Adidas Boost Trev-Z96®
In the early days of the NBA, players were allowed to wear shoes that were two years old. This practice was primarily focused on preventing players from sustaining injuries, as newer shoes were not as durable as those that had been worn for two years. In 1967, Adidas released the Boost model, which was the first shoe to be designed for basketball.
The Boost model was so successful that it was the only basketball shoe to be worn in the 1968 Summer Olympics. The Adidas Boost was so iconic that the company decided to bring it back in the early 2010s as the Boost Trev-Z96. The shoe was updated again in 2015, when it was renamed the ZX Flux. The ZX Flux was worn by some former players, such as Dirk Nowitzki.
Future Developments – Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality
The introduction of virtual reality is one of the most significant innovations in the field of sports. This technology has been used in the medical field for some time, but its success in the sporting arena is new. Virtual reality allows users to immerse themselves in a 3-D environment.
As with any new technology, there are many different applications for virtual reality. One application that is quickly gaining popularity is for use in the training environment. This allows players to practice skills in a more realistic fashion than what is possible using only a basketball.
Another significant development involving virtual reality is the use of augmented reality. Augmented reality is a blend of virtual reality and real-world data. For example, in an augmented reality application, a basketball would appear on the screen of a smartphone. A player could then be able to see the basketball while running on a treadmill.
The history of innovation within the NBA spans over five decades. From the development of sports science and technology to the use of virtual reality and augmented reality, the NBA has continually taken steps forward. The league’s spirit of innovation has been demonstrated by many of the changes that have occurred over time. Basically, the NBA is innovative and that is factual.