Advertising On NBA Backboards?

The NBA and Spalding plan to test advertising on backboards during NBA Development League play next year.

Initial plans have the system being tested in the NBA Development League next year. The screens would be used before games and during timeouts, and likely be given to teams to sell as incremental ad inventory. During games, they could be used for enhancements, like showing the last ticks of an expiring 24-second clock or quarter. When not in use, the technology is invisible to players.

I like it. Why not? I especially like the part about the expiring 24-second clock on the backboard. That would allow the player shooting to focus his sight more towards the rim than above the backboard where the clock resides now.

The technology can also be used for the benefit of all levels of basketball.

There are some fascinating applications. Imagine a coach showing the previous night’s game film, or some other scouting footage on the backboard while putting his team through its paces. Home hoopsters could participate in clinics, play their favorite video or mount a small video camera on the backboard, or could play H-O-R-S-E across thousands of miles via Internet hookup.

That backboard would have been sick to have around when Derek Fisher sunk the San Antonio Spurs with his famous 0.4 shot heard around the world. The picture from that shot is already awesome with the lights around the backboard, but imagine it with "0.0" in big red lights on the backboard with the ball in the air.