Every move NBA players make tracked

The NBA will install motion-tracking cameras in every arena this season to provide coaches, players and fans reams of data aimed at pulling back the curtain on what it takes to succeed at basketball's highest level.

The technology can monitor every move a player makes on the court, gauge how tired he is and can even keep an eye on the job referees are doing.

The project makes the NBA the first professional basketball league in the world, and the first sports league in the United States, to use the technology to analyse player movement.

"At this point, given the value of the data both at the team level and the league level, and the promise that it holds for unlocking some of the secrets for what makes great basketball teams, both for our basketball operations people and for our fans at home, we thought it was the right time to make it a league-wide effort," NBA executive vice president of operations and technology Steve Hellmuth said.

The system of six cameras and accompanying software that delivers the data was first used in Orlando during the 2009 finals between the Magic and the Los Angeles Lakers. Over the last three years, 15 teams purchased the system to put to use in their home arenas, arming themselves with data that could be tailored virtually any way teams want. Want to see how successful Ricky Rubio was at guarding Russell Westbrook? The system could break down the shooting percentages and results of each head-to-head possession.

Want to get an idea how close to 100 per cent Kevin Love was in his first few games back from a broken hand? The system could send information to the team trainers and doctors about his endurance and how quickly he is tiring during a game, thereby painting the most accurate picture possible of his recovery.