NBA is set to play on a LED glass court for some All-Star Weekend events in Indianapolis

The NBA is always trying to find new, innovative ways to bring fans closer to the basketball game, as it is well known that the league’s worldwide success is partly due to their approach to show business. In their latest attempt to spice things up, the league will be played on glass for the first time. 

Yep, you read correctly, some events of this All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis will be played on a LED glass court, including All-Star Saturday Night lineup. Described as a “state-of-the-art, full video LED court,” executives announced on Monday that it will be installed this week at the Lucas Oil Stadium.

In other words, the slam dunk competition, the three-point contest and the highly-awaited shooting clash between Sabrina Ionescu and Stephen Curry will take place on a glass floor this February 17, just as the Celebrity game the night before.

The NBA is debuting an interactive LED glass court for this year's All-Star weekend.

The court will display things you typically see on the jumbotron — replays, stats, animations, etc. — directly on the floor.

It's essentially a giant television screen.pic.twitter.com/zpzvj3GNx8

— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) February 5, 2024

According to sources, the All-Star Game itself will remain to be played on a wooden court on February 18. NBA senior vice president Carlton Myers further explained the decision to open up to this new technology.

“It gives us a little bit more range in what we can do as far as interactive graphics, reactionary graphics that happen on the floor, changing the floor design, changing the colors, really reacting to the play that happens on the court,” he said about overseeing this live production and entertainment.

Myers believes this will be a historic and impactful night for NBA basketball. “So, we feel really, really good about the capabilities of what this gives us, what this provides us. And we think it’s going to be really impactful, both in the building and watching on television,” he concluded.

According to executive Joe Dumars, this surface plays almost exactly the same as wood. In terms of bounce and feel, he assures it’s very similar. “What does it feel like? Does it have traction? Does it have give? Those were the questions that came to mind right away when you hear about this court,” he explained. “And they were answered to our satisfaction.”

The league recently experimented with new court designs earlier this campaign during the In-Season Tournament, when it used different-looking surfaces that were still traditional wood, but with personalized paint schemes.

Lil Wayne has been added to NBA All-Star Weekend concert lineup alongside T-Pain, Zedd and others

As usual, this 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend will have nothing short of the best entertainment in Indianapolis, as new artists continue to be added to the concert lineup. One of the last to appear on the list was rapper Lil Wayne, who is a well-known basketball fan.

The singer-songwriter will perform on Sunday, February 18 at 3pm during the NBA Crossover, which is a three-day event taking place at the Indiana Convention Center.

The artist joins hip hop stars T-Pain and Zedd, who will be headlining on Friday night at the arena, while Keith Urban and Walker Hayes will be taking over the NBA Crossover the following evening.

The list continues with gigs around Indianapolis during this All-Star Weekend, with big names like Jeezy, 2 Chainz, DaBaby and more.