Glass basketball court

Last updated

A glass basketball court is a basketball court with a glass floor that uses light emitting diodes (LEDs) to display the court lines and other graphics.

Contents

History

ASB GlassFloor, a German manufacturer, first demonstrated a glass court for sports including basketball in 2011. [1] Its first installation was for a 3x3 basketball event in Berlin in 2014. [2] The company makes two different kinds of glass floor that are approved by FIBA for tier 1 competitions: ASB MultiSports, which offers LED lines, and ASB LumiFlex, which allows full motion video and player tracking. The LumiFlex option can display statistics and advertising for spectators in the arena in ways comparable to digital on-screen graphics on television broadcasts. [3]

In 2017, FIBA had allowed another manufacturer to supply LED-lined glass floors for tier 2 and tier 3 competitions, noting that it passed the association's requirements for player and ball reaction against the surface, and avoided the redundant lines on many existing multi-use courts. [4] After successful trials, FIBA approved glass courts on October 1, 2022, for tier-1 competitions such as the FIBA Basketball World Cup, [3] [2] and a glass court would be used for the first time during the 2023 FIBA Under-19 Women's Basketball World Cup in Madrid. [5]

In 2014, Nike developed a glass court with AKQA, Rhizomatiks and WiSpark for an exhibition in Shanghai. The company invited 30 players to practice with Kobe Bryant on the court, nicknamed the "House of Mamba". The custom court included motion tracking and lighting that could track players as they ran drills. [6]

Glass courts are installed in several European basketball arenas, including the BallsportArena Dresden, [3] the OYM Performance Center in Switzerland, and an arena at the University of Oxford. [7] Two professional European basketball teams permanently installed ASB GlassFloor courts in their arenas in 2024. FC Bayern Munich installed a LumiFlex LED court at its home arena, BMW Park. Panathinaikos B.C. also installed a LumiFlex court at their home, O.A.C.A. Olympic Indoor Hall, in Athens. [8]

In February 2024, the NBA held the Saturday night activities of All-Star weekend, including the skills challenge, on a glass court at Lucas Oil Stadium. The All-Star Game proper was played at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, on a traditional court. [9]

Disadvantages

As of June 2022, a MultiSports floor costs about $80–90 (USD) per square foot and a LumiFlex floor costs about $500 per square foot; a full NBA court with LumiFlex technology would cost about $2 million, leading to doubt about its viability for widespread adoption. [10]

A glass court cannot be laid atop an ice surface, making it unsuitable for multi-purpose arenas which host both ice hockey and basketball games during overlapping schedules. [2]

Related Research Articles

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams. It is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada and is considered the premier professional basketball league in the world.

The EuroLeague, officially the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, is a European men's professional basketball club competition. The league is widely recognised as the top-tier men's league in Europe. The league consists of 18 teams, of which 16 are given long-term licences and wild cards, making the league a semi-closed league. The league was first organized by FIBA in 1958, subsequently by ULEB in 2000 and then solely the Euroleague Basketball.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FedExForum</span> Multi-purpose indoor arena in Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.

FedExForum is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Downtown Memphis, Tennessee. It is the home of the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the NCAA Division I men's basketball program of the University of Memphis, both of whom previously played home games at the Memphis Pyramid. The venue also has the capability of hosting ice hockey games, concerts, and family shows.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basketball court</span> Rectangular playing surface, with baskets at each end

In basketball, the basketball court is the playing surface, consisting of a rectangular floor, with baskets at each end. Indoor basketball courts are almost always made of polished wood, usually maple, with 10 feet (3.048 m)-high rims on each basket. Outdoor surfaces are generally made from standard paving materials such as concrete or asphalt. International competitions may use glass basketball courts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aleksandar Đorđević</span> Serbian basketball player and coach

Aleksandar "Saša" Đorđević or Sale Đorđević is a Serbian professional basketball coach and former player. He currently serves as a head coach for the senior China. During his playing career, he was listed as a 1.88 m (6'2") 90 kg (198 lb.) point guard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WVU Coliseum</span> Arena in Morgantown, West Virginia

The WVU Coliseum is a 14,000-seat multi-purpose arena located on the Evansdale campus of West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia. The circular arena features a poured concrete roof. It was built with state funds and replaced the WVU Fieldhouse, which seated 6,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delta Center</span> Arena in Salt Lake City

The Delta Center is an indoor venue in Salt Lake City. Opened in 1991, the arena is the home of the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Utah Hockey Club of the National Hockey League (NHL). The arena has a seating capacity of 18,306 for basketball, up to 16,200 for ice hockey and indoor football, and 20,000 for concerts. It has 56 luxury suites and 668 club seats.

The Aspire Dome is an indoor multi-purpose arena based in Qatar. It is located in the Aspire Academy in Al Rayyan and has the capacity to host 13 different sporting events simultaneously in a climate controlled arena, in addition to a full-sized indoor football pitch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flamengo Basketball</span> Basketball team in RJ, Brazil

The Flamengo Basketball team is a professional Brazilian basketball team based in Rio de Janeiro. It is a part of the Clube de Regatas do Flamengo multi-sports club family. The club's full name is Basquetebol do Clube de Regatas do Flamengo. The club's commonly used short names are C.R.F. Basquete, C.R. Flamengo Basquete, Flamengo Basquete, and FlaBasquete.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FIBA</span> International basketball governing body

The International Basketball Federation is an association of national organizations which governs the sport of basketball worldwide. FIBA defines the rules of basketball, specifies the equipment and facilities required, organizes international competitions, regulates the transfer of athletes across countries, and controls the appointment of international referees. A total of 212 national federations are members, organized since 1989 into five zones: Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania.

A backboard shattering is an accident or stunt in basketball. It occurs when a player performs a slam dunk with sufficient force to shatter the tempered glass of the backboard, often causing the hoop to break off as well. The stunt usually causes games to be canceled or delayed, incurring a foul for the offending player, serious injuries to occur and expensive costs of cleanup and replacement. Shattering a backboard can be dangerous, sending various small pieces of the backboard glass flying over the players, sideline press personnel, referees, and spectators. In the National Basketball Association (NBA), shattering a backboard during a game is penalized with a "non-unsportsmanlike" technical foul and a possible fine towards the player. The player may not be ejected, nor shall the foul count towards a player's total towards either ejection or suspension. The referee also has latitude to waive off the foul, if it is determined the shattering was accidental due to a defect in the backboard or its structure, the board was broken during a rebound of the ball from a jump shot, or if the player had no intentions to dunk with force.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vasilije Micić</span> Serbian basketball player (born 1994)

Vasilije Micić is a Serbian professional basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also represents the Serbian national team in international competition. He was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 52nd overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft.

In Israel, basketball is a popular sport, with a multi-tiered professional club league system, as well as men's and women's national teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Džanan Musa</span> Bosnian basketball player (born 1999)

Džanan Musa is a Bosnian professional basketball player for Real Madrid of the Spanish Liga ACB and the EuroLeague. Standing at 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) and weighing 215 pounds (98 kg), Musa plays at the shooting guard and small forward positions. He was selected by the Brooklyn Nets with the 29th pick in the 2018 NBA draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A'ja Wilson</span> American basketball player (born 1996)

A'ja Riyadh Wilson is an American professional basketball player for the Las Vegas Aces of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isaac Bonga</span> German basketball player (born 1999)

Isaac Evolue Etue Bofenda Bonga is a German professional basketball player for Partizan Mozzart Bet of the Partizan Mozzart Bet of the ABA League, Basketball League of Serbia (KLS) and the EuroLeague. Standing 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m), he began his professional career with Skyliners Frankfurt of the Basketball Bundesliga. Bonga represents the Germany national team in international competitions. He was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers and immediately traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2018 NBA draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joshua Obiesie</span> German basketball player

Joshua Obiesie is a German professional basketball player for JDA Dijon of the LNB Élite.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leandro Bolmaro</span> Argentine-Italian basketball player (born 2000)

Leandro Nicolás Bolmaro is an Argentine-Italian professional basketball player for Olimpia Milano of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA) and the EuroLeague. He also represents the senior Argentina national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on basketball</span>

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused disruption to basketball around the world, mirroring its impact across all sports. Around the world and to varying degrees, events and competitions have been cancelled or postponed with limited or no spectators, and other restrictions in 2020 and 2021. The National Basketball Association (NBA) suspended its 2019–20 season due to one player testing positive from COVID-19, and began to resume the season later in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 Basketball Champions League Final Four</span> Basketball tournament in Belgrade, Serbia

The 2024 Basketball Champions League Final Four, also known as the 2024 BCL Final Four, is the concluding tournament of the 2023–24 Basketball Champions League. The tournament was hosted at the Belgrade Arena in Belgrade, Serbia.

References

  1. ↑ Hornyak, Tim (January 18, 2013). "Is this 'Tron'-style floor the future of basketball?". CNET. Retrieved December 25, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 McCormick, Bret (July 11, 2022). "Facilities: LumiFlex glass LED basketball surface offers lucrative sponsorship opportunities". Sports Business Journal. Retrieved December 25, 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 McCaskill, Steve (May 30, 2022). "Fiba approves glass LED courts for elite tournaments". SportsPro. Retrieved December 25, 2022.
  4. ↑ "FIBA Equipment & Venue Centre approves glass floor". FIBA. August 15, 2017.
  5. ↑ "Launch of glass floor at FIBA Under-19 Women's Basketball World Cup a hit". Inside the Games. 2023-07-22. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
  6. ↑ McFarland, Matt (August 27, 2014). "The story behind Nike's basketball court that lights up like a Christmas tree". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 25, 2022.
  7. ↑ McCormick, Bret (May 25, 2022). "FIBA reveals first ever glass floor for competitions". Sports Business Journal. Retrieved December 25, 2022.
  8. ↑ Schaefer, Rob (August 20, 2024). "FC Bayern Basketball permanently installing ASB GlassFloor's LumiFlex LED court at home arena". Sports Business Journal. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  9. ↑ "NBA to use interactive LED glass court at 2024 All-Star weekend: Here's how 'huge television screen' will work". CBSSports.com. 2024-02-05. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
  10. ↑ Muret, Don (June 2, 2022). "Breaking glass floor in LED tech". VenuesNow. Retrieved December 25, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.