The NBA is one of the biggest sports leagues in the world and more specifically in the USA. The premier basketball attraction, there is no place bigger nor better to watch the sport and for athletes to play. We are currently in the Playoff rounds and with the excitement palpable, NBA Finals odds currently have the Boston Celtics as the favourites to win the championship this year. Founded 76 years ago, it is actually the youngest of the top four leagues alongside the MLB, NHL and NFL. This makes the sheer impact that the league has had not just on the sport but also on pop culture all the more impressive. The impact it has had on the development of basketball in the USA from has been integral to its status as one of the biggest sports in the country. In 2023, the NBA continues to uphold its role in developing the sport from the ground level right the way through to the pros in many ways.
There are a few initiatives that the NBA have started to develop and train younger players who they hope to be the next generation of greats. In 2001, they founded the NBA G-League, their official minor-league. Then known as the National Basketball Development League (NBDL), it consisted of eight franchises that with players having to be at least 20-years-old, giving them a direct path to the league. It was especially useful for players who went undrafted but still had the talent to reach the NBA. During its opening season eight players were called up to the league, including future NBA Champion Chris Andersen who joined the Denver Nuggets to become the first ever player to be drafted via the NBDL. Commissioner David Stern announced that they would expand to 15 teams in 2005 with each NBA D-League team affiliated with one or more NBA teams. They have welcomed a number of new teams ever since and there are currently 30 sides competing in the G-League, 28 of which are affiliated with an active NBA team.
The G-League has been extremely important in the continued development of young basketballers in the USA. The minimum age has been lowered to 18 meaning players who declared early for the draft can gain match experience as well as league-level coaching before being welcomed into the first-team of their parent team. It has become such a success that as of the 2020-21 NBA season, 54% of players on the rosters of teams in the league had G-League experience.
There has also be a concerted effort to draw in some of the most talented young, foreign players into the USA to play in the league. The NBA Academy was launched in 2016 to provide a pathway to the league for young players outside of the States. The Junior NBA programs, which are setup throughout 75 countries, help academies recruit talent. The likes of Josh Giddey, Benedict Mathurin and Dyson Daniels, who are all currently active on NBA rosters, have come through the academy.
The NBA’s use of technology has also helped to enhance the game of basketball. Many teams are big on video tracking and in 2019 the league itself teamed up with a company called STATS to install 6 cameras per Basketball arena to track player and referee movements at 25 frames per second. By using this technology, coaches can analyze and track plays to inform their strategy and training methods. It also helps players adjust their own game, allowing them to find where on the court they get their highest shooting success rate for example.
The incorporation of wearable technology has also been very popular in the NBA in recent years. This has been particularly useful for the health and rehabilitation of players, especially with the busy playing schedule of an NBA player. The bench can monitor player workload, jumping, and acceleration to help make decisions on play time and health backed up by science.
This has all had a direct effect on the college game as well and coaches are now incorporating similar tech to help keep their young players healthy as well as maximize their performance. This can be used both on the court and in the training room. Adam Petway, the Director of Strength and Conditioning for Men’s Basketball at the University of Louisville, is a vocal advocate of the practice.
The NBA have worked extremely hard not just to invest in the future of the league but in the future of the sport as a whole from the ground up. The NBA Cares program is dedicated to charitable efforts throughout the country, including helping increase the grassroots presence of basketball in the community. The role they play in shaping the infrastructure of the sport in the USA is integral and long may it continue.
