NBA Tests Smart Basketballs and Official Wrist Wearables in Preseason

The NBA is testing two technologies in the lead-up to the new season, the league announced Monday.

According to the Associated Press, certain exhibition games will feature a "smart basketball" containing a Bluetooth sensor. The device, developed by Wilson, can gather data in real time. The league says the information will be used for research only and will not influence officiating decisions during those games. The stated purpose is to explore how such data might eventually support future officiating decisions.

Separately, officials working select games will wear wrist devices to communicate with the replay center. The league says these wearables are intended for designated situations, such as replay reviews, scoring changes, and clock malfunctions. The NBA described a pilot program for the wearables during the summer league as successful. However, the technology will not be extended into the regular season.

What's confirmed

• The tests are limited to select exhibition games.
• The smart basketball uses a Bluetooth sensor and is made by Wilson.
• Data from the ball will not affect calls in those games and is for research only.
• Wrist wearables will let officials communicate with the replay center in specific situations.
• The wearables were piloted in the summer league, which the NBA called successful.
• Neither technology will be used in the regular season.

What it means

The experiments signal the league's interest in sensor-based data and faster official communication, but the explicit limits—research-only use of the ball data and no regular-season deployment—suggest these are exploratory steps rather than imminent changes to how games are called. The AP's report does not specify which exhibition games will host the tests, how many officials will wear the devices, or what metrics the smart basketball will collect. No timeline for broader adoption was provided. Without those details, it's unclear whether either technology will move beyond the preseason.

This brief is based on the Associated Press report as published by ABC News Technology. The NBA has not released additional technical specifications. Readers should treat the league's characterization of the summer league pilot as successful as a claim from the NBA, not an independent assessment.

For now, the tests are confined to exhibition play, and any impact on the regular season or fan experience remains unconfirmed.