NBA
The Indiana Pacers are the first NBA team to ever do this
Mat Issa is based in Sterling Heights, Michigan. Yes, he spells his name with one "t." He's obsessed with NBA history, so much so that he's dedicated nearly two years of research to his two mini-series', "Blazing the Trail" and "The Quest for the Best." Right now, Mat goes to law school and writes about the NBA for The Analyst, Forbes, and of course, Basketball Insiders. His work has also been featured in ESPN, SB Nation, FanSided, Basketball News, ONE37pm, and Raptors Republic. Also, he's a lifelong Spartans fan. Go Green!
All posts by Mat IssaUpdated08 Jan 2024
After spending the last few seasons plagued by irrelevancy, the Indiana Pacers are now the talk of the town. With Tyrese Haliburton and their dynamic offensive machine, the Pacers are sitting pretty at 20-15, which is good for seventh in the Eastern Conference.
And along with being one of the most fun watches in the NBA, the Pacers are also the first ever NBA team to do this.
Pay Close Attention To Their Uniforms
Pacers uniform updates for tonight:
-Their new jersey patch partner, Spokenote, will be on the jerseys for the first time.
-A stripe with the number 30 on it to honor George McGinnis has been added. pic.twitter.com/DTUdV5Hrx1
— Tony East (@TonyREast) January 3, 2024
As the tweet mentions, the Pacers’ uniform has their new sponsor (Spokenote) and a stripe with the number 30 to honor George McGinnis on it. They aren’t the first team in NBA history to have a sponsor on their uniform. And they aren’t the first team to use their jerseys as a way to honor a former franchise star.
However, look closely, and you will see a little barcode on the uniform that is similar to the one you would see taped to a table at your local Buffalo Wild Wings in a post-COVID world. That right there is what is known as a QR code. And the Pacers are the first team in the NBA to have a QR code included on their jersey (per Boardroom).
Why Is This Important?
Okay, so the Pacers are the first team with a QR code on their uniform. Why is this important?
Outside of the fact that they are the first team to do it, this little wrinkle gives Pacers’ diehards (the number of those is growing by the day) the opportunity to gain access to exclusive Pacer content you won’t find anywhere else. You see, if a fan can manage to scan one of the QR codes, they will gain access to never-before-seen Pacers’ content.
What we don’t know right now is how fans can have the opportunity to scan this QR code. Do they need to do it while a player is standing still on the court? Will this code be included on jerseys that fans can purchase in stores or online? In any event, this is a cool element that further adds to the fan experience. Let’s see if other teams end up following suit.
