NEW YORK — NBA commissioner Adam Silver revealed the league is experimenting with a “smart ball” containing a tiny chip, immediately prompting coaches across the league to ask whether the basketball will finally be allowed to overrule referees.
Silver said the chip would weigh roughly one gram and could potentially arrive in NBA games as soon as next year, with a consumer version still several years away.
Within minutes, several coaching staffs reportedly submitted the same question.
“Does it know who touched it last?”
League officials clarified that the technology is being developed to collect detailed information about the ball itself and is not currently designed to roll toward the nearest referee after a missed out-of-bounds call.
Coaches remained interested.
Potential uses discussed around the league reportedly include determining whether a shot was released before the buzzer, tracking exactly where the ball traveled, and providing scientific confirmation that a player absolutely did not touch it despite immediately pointing the other direction.
Players were also intrigued by the possibility of a basketball capable of producing its own data, though several guards reportedly asked whether the chip could be programmed to record assists more generously.
Referees have been assured the technology is intended to help officiating rather than replace officials.
The smart ball has not responded publicly.
At press time, the NBA was reportedly testing its most advanced prototype by placing it under a replay monitor for six minutes before ultimately ruling that the original call stands.
