Are you a fan of different NBA players? Don’t know which basketball player to support during their games? Those days of questioning yourself are over with the NBA Smart Jersey.
The NBA Smart Jersey allows the wearer to change the name and number indicated at the back of the cloth with the help of a proprietary app. The transformation happens in a few seconds so users can alter their preferred player to support on the fly. However, the color and general appearance of the tank top stays the same.
Who can gain the most value out of the NBA Smart Jersey? Also, is it possible to hack this piece of clothing? Find the answers to these questions (and more) as you continue reading the rest of the article. For now, you can start with taking a deeper dive into this piece of smart wearable technology.
Table of Contents
What is the NBA Smart Jersey?
In February 2019, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver gave a sneak peek and demo of the future of NBA clothing. Dubbed as the NBA Smart Jersey, this piece of smart wearable technology is part of the 2019 NBA All-Start Technology Summit, an event devoted to providing information about the future of sports technology, particularly for basketball.
You can check out a brief introduction of the NBA Smart Jersey in the video below:
In the video, Silver uses his smartphone to change the Smart Jersey’s name and number. The action happens in mere seconds. At the time of writing, the name- and number-changing feature are the only functionalities of the NBA Smart Jersey.
Additionally, this piece of technology was still a concept in 2019 and has no significant news about it being released soon. Therefore, the smart sports tank top is only available in one general design.
Who Can Benefit Wearing the NBA Smart Jersey?
The NBA has many basketball celebrities that sports fans won’t hesitate fawning over. As such, the NBA Smart Jersey is an ideal piece of sports techwear for all basketball enthusiasts. This piece of clothing offers fans the flexibility to show their admiration and appreciation to specific NBA players anytime and anywhere.
So how can you use the NBA Smart Jersey?
Imagine that you’re watching a game with James Harden in it. Therefore, you can wear the Smart Jersey to support this particular athlete by changing the name at the back to Harden and altering the number to 13.
After that game finishes, you’re still hyped to watch the next match which stars LeBron James. At this point, you can fiddle with your smartphone for a bit, change the name at the back from Harden to James, and alter the number from 13 to 23.
This feature might look simple, but it can save a basketball fan a lot of money. In other words, you don’t need to buy different NBA jerseys to show that you’re a fan of specific players. Instead, you can wear the Smart Jersey and show your admiration to several league athletes.
Can the NBA Smart Jersey Change the Tide of a Game?
At the time of writing, the NBA’s official rules don’t consider the Smart Jersey as authorized clothing. But what if players can wear this smart clothing to official matches?
If so, take note of the name- and number-changing feature of this piece of technology; it can be possible for the jersey to enlarge the font size for better viewing. Therefore, if a player commits a foul, the name and number of the individual can be seen clearly across the basketball court.
But is it possible to use the Smart Jersey to bring fault to another player?
It could, but the player doing the illicit deed won’t get far from his actions. Kindly note that only the design on the jersey will change and not the player’s physical attributes. Therefore, if player A decided to commit a foul and decided to blame the violation on player B by changing the name and number on the Smart Jersey, it would still be obvious that player A made the unsportsmanlike action as his face will stay the same.
On the other hand, NBA players playing currently can get hyped by the cheers of their fans. If those players see some of their fans wearing their names and numbers on jerseys, those athletes can gain enough motivation to push through their opponents’ defensive maneuvers.
A 2007 research also found that the idea of wearing a wearable display jersey can enhance sports awareness. As per this study, the researchers stated the following:
The case study evaluation demonstrated TeamAwear’s perceived usefulness particularly for non-playing stakeholders, such as the audience, referees, and coaches, supporting more accurate coaching assessments, a better understanding of in-game situations, and increased enjoyment for spectators.
When is the Release Date of the NBA Smart Jersey?
At the time of writing, no information is available regarding the release date of the NBA Smart Jersey. The showcase was meant to reveal the technology as a concept. However, the release of this smart clothing might not be too far into the future, particularly if you look into other technologies.
For instance, the now-defunct Nike NBA Connected Jersey allowed wearers to get up-to-the-minute insights about certain data on the league with a quick scan of the brand’s logo on the jersey. Here’s a quick look at what this technology can do.
Seeing the Nike NBA Connected Jersey, it’s not impossible to create design-changing elements to sports clothing.
Is it Possible to Hack the NBA Smart Jersey?
The NBA Smart Jersey connects to a smartphone through wireless technology. So it does not come as a surprise that a possibility of hacking can still occur.
A hacker can intercept the signals coming from the smartphone before the radio waves reach the smart wearable. At that point, the individual can replace the text with whatever that hacker desires. It could be anything from another player’s name to profanities.
However, since this technology is still in its early stages, developers still have the time to create countermeasures for hacking.
Final Words
The NBA Smart Jersey is a piece of wearable technology that allows fans to show their veneration for certain league players without spending more money on different jerseys. However, this smart jersey is still a concept. As it stands, it’s still unknown when the manufacturer decides to release this product.
