NBA Teams Quietly Test LED Glass Court in All-Star Afterglow

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A year after ASB GlassFloor’s debut during the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend, the company has set up a temporary testing facility in Orlando, Fla., eager to expand its U.S. footprint.

Multiple NBA teams in town to play the Magic have since tried the tech as the league explores future applications. Trail Blazers player Deni Avdija used an iPad to sketch hopscotch squares onto the court (as well as his own face). Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff’s mug replaced the midcourt logo when Detroit showed up a couple days later. Otherwise, the floor can mimic out-of-town visitors’ own home arenas—or present more abstract designs. But the minds behind ASB GlassFloor envision many more use cases than party tricks and pranks.

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ASB’s origins as a design and construction company date back to 1965, including a run as a leader in squash court production. It began focusing on glass sport floors in 2006, with the first full LED floor launching in 2016, as Christof Babinsky took over for his father atop the company, headquartered in Germany. ASB envisions its technology in everything from art installations to airport stores, though sports remain at the heart of the company’s ambitions.

An aluminum and steel skeleton gives the floor a durable spine, while ceramic layers and laser-etching of the glass provide grip. Glass made its biggest stateside splash last year, serving the NBA during its All-Star celebrity game, skills competitions and dunk contest events in Indianapolis.

“It was a ‘wow’ sort of thing,” NBA SVP and head of on-court and brand partnerships Christopher Arena said in a phone interview. “Your mind just runs wild with what it could become.”

The league took a minority stake in ASB’s American subsidiary at the same time.

“We want to be a competitive court used for the biggest events in the NBA and the NCAA,” ASB director of the Americas Chris Thornton said.

ASB believes its court can provide hoopers a more consistent surface than hardwood. Coaches can draw plays directly onto the playing area during practices using the company’s app, while ASB also speaks with third-party data…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nba-teams-quietly-test-led-105500224.html

Author : Sportico

Publish date : 2025-02-11 10:55:00

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