President Adam Xiao Hua ( Adam Silver ) stated that the league may start using a new type of "smart basketball" in competitions as early as 2027, and this technology could potentially change the way referees make decisions on the basketball court.

In an interview with host Contessa Brewer, NBA revealed that they are collaborating with the official basketball manufacturer, Wilson ( Wilson ), to develop a basketball equipped with a built-in microchip Bluetooth sensor. This sensor is capable of tracking the movement, rotation, and trajectory changes of the basketball.

"We are experimenting with putting a small chip that weighs about 1 gram into a basketball," said Xiao Hua.

This technology has already been tested in the NBA Development Alliance ( G League), during the summer league, and in some preseason games, where players used basketballs with and without chips. Xiao Hua stated that the players were satisfied with the test results.

"No one can tell the difference. So that's a good sign," he said.

Xiao Hua stated that this chip weighs only 1 gram, while a basketball weighs approximately 620 grams, or 1.4 pounds. The league hopes to ensure that even the most experienced players will not notice any changes in the feel or bounce of the basketball.

One of the most direct applications of this technology could be in the enforcement of rules by referees.

Xiao Hua said that this technology can help referees determine whether the ball is touched by a player before it goes out of bounds by detecting subtle changes in the rotation of the basketball. It can also help identify whether there have been any changes in the shooting trajectory.

"I think that as early as next year, you might see us using it in the officiating of competitions," said Xiao Hua.

In addition to refereeing, Xiao Hua also believes that this technology has great potential in the consumer market, as it can enable basketball players of all ages to analyze and evaluate their own shooting techniques.

For example, a player who has taken hundreds of shots can use the data collected by the chip to understand which shooting angles and basketball spin techniques are most likely to result in a goal.

“Then you’ll see the chart, and you’ll be able to see which shooting angles are more likely to result in a successful shot,” Xiao Hua said.

However, Xiao Hua stated that although the use of referees for enforcement may be implemented as early as next year, it may still take a longer time to have a version available for consumers.

"I think it will still be a few years before we see a consumer-oriented version of (smart basketball), but this is a very exciting opportunity."

NBA Players' Association Expresses Concerns About Wearable Devices

The alliance is also exploring the use of wearable technology during the competition period, but negotiations with the National Basketball Association (NBA) have not yet resulted in an agreement.

NBA indicates that officials have experimented with wrist-worn devices during some preseason games and summer leagues this year, which was a "successful pilot project," but it will not be continued into the regular season. This technology allows officials to communicate with the replay center regarding issues such as replay reviews, score changes, and timer malfunctions.

Xiao Hua stated that players often use wearable devices off the field to monitor various data ranging from sleep to physical performance, but there are still concerns regarding how the data collected during matches will be utilized by the team.

"I think we must reach some kind of agreement on how to use this information. But it seems that everyone wants this information," said Xiao Hua.

Xiao Hua stated that the biggest issue lies in whether this information might affect contract negotiations.

"If you notice that a player's speed slows down, or something similar, they're concerned that this could be exploited in negotiations, and I understand that," he said.

Xiao Hua acknowledged these concerns and stated that the league needs to reach an agreement with the players' union regarding the manner in which this information will be used.

However, he also stated that as athletes become increasingly dependent on technology to monitor their performance, allowing the use of wearable devices during competitions is a logical next step.

"I think the current situation for players is that they are wearing wearable devices for 22 hours a day, with the only time they don't wear them being during matches," said Xiao Hua. "So that doesn't make sense."

"We will resolve this issue with them," he added.