The league has already outfitted courts with the now-popular phrase
After multiple protests – some of them violent – that emerged across the country after the death of George Floyd, several organizations are taking the matter of racism more seriously. A while ago, the NBA promised that the phrase “Black Lives Matter” would be printed on the courts before the league’s games restart in Orlando and, and has followed up on that promise.
The NBA unveiled yesterday the new court as it gave reporters a tour around the “bubble.” The phrase was written on the floor in large, striking, black print and there can now be no concerns that the league will be a distraction from the social protests that are still taking place. The phrase is expected to be on all three courts used by the teams.
This tour across the newly adapted facilities showed several changes coming to comply with social distancing measures and other protocols. Game broadcasters won’t be at the center of the court anymore sitting on a sideline as they now will be enclosed in Plexiglass panels to create a safe barrier to separate them from players. The section for players and team’s staff also looks different; it comprises dozens of spaced chairs that were separated from each other to the recommended distance of six feet.
In addition to that, the court has been upgraded with large video screens that are located across the entire court, to promote a better and more engaging interaction with the fans. Virtual fans and signage like “make noise” could pop up on these screens – this is something usually done on a JumboTron. The NBA added that the technology that will be deployed to run in the screens and other virtual technology involved is still being tested and is expected to be finalized very soon.
