Home

NBA

LED Courts, Glass Courts, and More: 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend Undergoes Massive Change

Published 02/05/2024, 1:23 PM EST

Follow Us

USA Today via Reuters

The excitement for the upcoming All-Star weekend has reached a crescendo, with just under two weeks remaining until the highly anticipated event. The All-Star weekend is scheduled to take place from 16th February to 18th February at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Reports on the All-Star weekend are pouring in rapidly, and reputable journalist Tim Reynolds has delivered another significant update.

According to Reynolds, “The NBA will be using a glass court for some All-Star Friday and All-Star Saturday Night events in Indianapolis. (The All-Star Game itself will be on a wooden floor, as per usual.)”

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

The NBA also recently unveiled the new state-of-the-art LED courts that will be utilized during the Friday and Saturday events of the upcoming All-Star weekend.

Sweeping changes to the optics of the All-Star Weekend

The full video LED court is developed by ASB GlassFloor, and will host the Celebrity All-Star game as well as State Farm Saturday Night. The latter includes events such as the Skills Challenge, 3-Point contest, Slam Dunk contest, and the very first WNBA vs NBA 3-Point challenge featuring Stephen Curry and Sabrina Ionescu. The LED court will essentially act as a giant television screen, offering full customization capabilities with graphics, lines, animations, and effects.

Trending

Get instantly notified of the hottest NBA stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

In an interview with Forbes, NBA’s head of live production and entertainment, Charlton Myers explained the reasoning behind the sweeping changes. He said, What we are doing with it and how we are using it is pretty groundbreaking, and pretty exciting for the fans. Things that would normally appear on a jumbotron will now appear on the floor alongside the live action.” He also stated that introducing the LED courts isn’t a new idea, instead the NBA had been keeping a keen eye on the development of the technology for about eight years. “Now the technology is there, and we feel really comfortable with it,” he says. “Now is the time to do it.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

However, the most fascinating aspect of the new LED courts is that the NBA has the capability to monitor specific players throughout the weekend, showing their movement through visuals on the floor. The NBA has the ability to track players’ movements by utilizing tracking devices worn by some players. The LED court can then illuminate their motion using visual cues like a fire trail, star, or a circle, offering an experience reminiscent of NBA 2K in the real world.

While All-Star festivities for Friday and Saturday take place on the LED court in the Lucas Oil Stadium, the All-Star game will take place on the maple hardwood floor at the Pacers’ Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Who is your favorite to win this year? Let us know in the comments!

Watch this Story: Warriors Trade Rumors: Stephen Curry Urges Team to Plow Through In Case Front Office Fails to Make Changes Before Deadline

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

Written by:

Dushyant Singh

822Articles

One take at a time

Dushyant Singh is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. His basketball script journey began in 2020 when he was captivated by the Los Angeles Lakers? triumphant NBA championship win. Before that he was merely dribbling and dunking as a boy next door.
Show More>

Edited by:

Ruth John