NBA's Training Black Technology, CBA Can Also Try

Rockets manager Daryl Morey's inappropriate remarks have triggered a huge NBA storm. There is no final explanation for this matter yet. With the termination of contracts between many parties and the NBA, the termination of cooperation, and the suspension of domestic broadcasts, the NBA, which took great pains to enter the Chinese market, is likely to be driven out. If there is no NBA to watch anymore, can our CBA support the expectations of domestic fans? If we learn the AI technology used by the NBA, can we get faster improvement?

 For basketball fans, some recent moves in the NBA are chilling. Morey, who is usually shrewd, posted comments on Hong Kong on Twitter, triggering nationwide condemnation. And the way NBA Commissioner Adam Silver handled the situation has made the storm worse.

Since then, many brands, companies, and celebrities have announced the termination of their contracts with the NBA, and domestic platforms have suspended broadcasting of preseason games. All of this indicates that the NBA Chinese market, which West worked hard to open, may be heading for closure. Putting aside other factors, the competitiveness and viewing value of NBA games are indeed second to none in the sport of basketball. If there are no NBA games to watch in the future, what can we rely on for comfort? 

How big is the difference between CBA and NBA?

Many people will talk about our own basketball. But judging from this year's Basketball World Cup, the Chinese men's basketball team is still too immature on the world stage. It can be imagined that there is a big gap between the strength of the CBA and the NBA, and the strength of the European teams.

But some people also analyzed that the gap between Chinese and American sports may be a digital NBA.

The NBA has been injecting digital DNA since 2009, and has gradually begun to apply technologies such as data analysis and AI to analyze and interpret large amounts of data in the game, from which key information about players and games can be extracted. These measures have helped it become the world's smartest and most technologically advanced basketball event.

Looking at our CBA, the Basketball Association and coaches of different teams have varying degrees of emphasis on data, which limits the effective use of big data in the CBA.

In addition, the CBA has not been able to catch the express train of AI due to reasons such as insufficient data accumulation, inadequate standardization of statistical indicators and statistical processes, incomplete data analysis, insufficient emphasis on technology, lack of professional talent and professional equipment and software.

If we expect our basketball to become a banner, perhaps we can try to learn from the techniques they use in training to speed up the digitalization process.

Personal Edition: Personal AI coach anytime, anywhere

In this World Cup, basic problems such as lost rebounds, missed free throws, and serve errors all reflect that the individual level of the Chinese men's basketball players still needs to be polished. How to conduct efficient training is a problem that needs to be solved.

The importance of personal strength is self-evident. Apart from athletic talent, the key is correct and efficient training. A good coach or the right way of practicing can always achieve twice the result with half the effort.

One of the reasons why the NBA is so powerful is that its players make good use of various technologies to help them improve their skills. This is something our players should learn from.

For example, there is a lightweight mobile app called Homecourt. With just a mobile phone, you can have an efficient private basketball coach at any venue and at any time to conduct effective basketball training.

If used to assist in shooting training, HomeCourt can tell users how many shots were made in a training session, the exact location of each shot, and other information, helping trainers review and give suggestions. This app can also play videos of each shot in real time or slow motion.

To use it, you only need to equip a tripod and open Homecourt, then you can record training videos with your mobile phone to track your movements during basketball training. After analysis and processing by algorithms, it will provide feedback on training reports and opinions, point out incorrect movements, draw shooting hot spots, and clearly divide personal strengths and weaknesses.

By utilizing technologies such as artificial intelligence and computer vision, the system will automatically build models, draw virtual points on the court, and then make calculations and analyses.

Homecourt has been widely used and has become the most effective helper for basketball players to correct their shooting movements. Its value has also been widely recognized, and it has even received investment from Nash, Jeremy Lin, and Mark Cuban.

It is said that the software will also launch new features, such as shooting speed, angle and jump height, and move towards multi-person analysis to provide data analysis support for 5-on-5 training. 

Team: Comprehensive and detailed AI guidance

Basketball is a team sport. Individual strength alone is not enough. It also requires team assistance and tactical arrangements. In-depth analysis of game data can help the team gain deep insights.

In this World Cup, many people blamed the defeat on head coach Li Nan, believing that his guidance and tactical arrangements were unreasonable. Admittedly, as a young coach, his experience and strength still need to be honed.

With comprehensive digital information, it is possible to minimize such mistakes. The NBA does this very well.

Since 2010, the NBA has introduced a technology called SportVU, which comprehensively analyzes the situation on the court through digital interpretation of camera videos.

This system can track players' scores, capture their positions and speeds, and, in more detail, determine whether the score came from a shot or a fast break. By making full use of the information in the data, the team can be improved.

By the end of 2016, a machine learning company, Second Spectrum, took over SportVU's task with a faster method. They used AI technology to select players, design tactics, and complete video tracking and analysis of the game through data modeling.

The advantage of Second Spectrum is that it is more accurate and faster. It combines data from eight to ten cameras on the field and completes tracking analysis through machine learning and computer vision technology.

According to the introduction, the system uses an algorithm called "space-time pattern recognition" to learn from a large amount of historical data and ultimately identify the player's behavior from real-time video, such as the tactical characteristics of the coach executing on the court, and can distinguish basketball tactical skills such as pick-and-roll and double-screen.

More specifically, the software will accurately capture the players' movements, identify the changes in each person's playing style, and the trajectory of the ball. It can also combine the comprehensive data of the player with the ball (offensive movements, defender positions, players' historical spot-up shooting percentages, etc.) to calculate the player's chances of scoring or grabbing rebounds.

The system also mastered more than 20 basketball tactics through training. More than 500Basketball tactics, eventually reaching the point where it can provide advice to the coach. Taking the pick-and-roll tactic as an example, AI can make the best judgment based on the situation, whether the ball handler needs to set a screen, and the subsequent movements of the screener.

With the support of this technology, in the best case scenario, the teamIt only takes a few secondsYou can understand the game strategy and trend probability, while in the past such analysis would have taken months.

These proven effective methods, if used properly, may help our men's basketball team grow faster.

Embrace technology and wait for the rise of CBA

The sport of basketball is full of endless charm in itself. The fighting spirit and visual experience it brings also give this competitive sport more cultural significance.

The many reforms brought about by science and technology, and even the introduction of digital technology, have made basketball more intense and exciting. To some extent, the importance of data in basketball games has made the NBA the top basketball event. But unfortunately, this unresolved storm may prevent us from seeing the top basketball event again.

But what is certain is that by making good use of the power of science and technology, learning from their advanced technologies, and with the firm determination of Basketball Association Chairman Yao Ming, one day, CBA will be as competitive and exciting as the women's volleyball team!