94Fifty Smart Basketball

I read a fairly recent article about a new innovation in basketball, here. In the article, it describes a product called 94Fifty, which is a $295 basketball that includes “sensors and a Bluetooth chip to communicate with an app that runs on your iPhone. The idea is to better track a player’s performance and better develop their skills.” Nowadays, it is very rare to see technology implemented in professional sports. It took a very long time before the MLB started using heavier statistical strategies with computer programs, and it still isn’t even fully optimized given today’s current technology.  Basketball tends to follow the same trends as baseball, but Soccer seemed to be the only sport showing advanced uses of modern technology.

 In this article, it discusses implanting a chip in Adidas soccer cleats so that players can “track and measure their distance covered, top speed, number of sprints, and other statistics during games or practice.” The chip can even connect to an iPhone app that will allow the player to compare with their past performance, as well as the performance of others. “’Understanding individual performance data is one of the best ways to improve your game,’ renowned trained Mark Verstegen said. For the first time, amateur athletes can have access to the performance tracking and analysis technology available to professional athletes.” While I agree with implementing this technology professionally, there is no doubt that this type of tracking cleat will cost hundreds, thus making it not very scalable in regular commercial markets. Moreover, tracking your performance data is only half the battle, where understanding what to do with the data comes with experience, and knowledge of the game. I believe that in order for this type of product to work, you would still need the know-how, understanding, and proper training to improve upon your current performance. The same argument can then be made with the 94Fifty basketball, since it already costs roughly $300. I find it funny that the basketball’s makers tag their basketball as “The Ultimate Holiday Gift” because I have severe doubt that this type of product will succeed in the consumer market. Not to mention, the ball is hyped to make you a better player, but as I said for the case of soccer cleats, tracking your performance does not guarantee success.  

Although I disagree with these types of products being sold to the consumer market, I think they will find perfect use in professional sports where teams have the necessary talent and resources to understand this type of recorded data. In the case of soccer cleats, team managers and coaches will be able to pinpoint weaknesses in certain areas on the soccer field, and adjust offensive strategies based on their player’s talent. Furthermore, team coaches will be better able to place their players in the positions they are best suited for. In the case of the 94Fifty basketball, players can better understand their possible flaws and weaknesses during team drills, and the product will even be able to tell the player what needs to be done in order to improve. For these reasons, people tend to classify these tools as a form of cheating. For instance, in the article regarding soccer cleats, it mentions that the NBA banned a $300 dollar shoe that added nearly four inches to a player’s jump. However, I do not believe that 94Fifty causes an unfair advantage since it simply gives player’s a better understanding of their current performance. I always find it very interesting when new technological innovations are introduced to professional sports, and it becomes even more interesting to see how these technologies affect the game.