NBA invests in Jeremy Lin-backed basketball AI app
- Other new investors include the Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund, Blue Pool Capital and actor Will Smith’s Dreamers Fund
The National Basketball Association (NBA) invested in a basketball analytics app backed by Toronto Raptors point guard Jeremy Lin as part of broader efforts by the league to embrace advanced technology.
NEX Team, developer of the HomeCourt app, raised US$8.5 million in its recent series A funding round from investors including the NBA, which has also become a strategic partner. The app uses artificial intelligence (AI) to track and analyse how a basketball player makes shots during training or in a game. Its features have since expanded to include more drills and augmented reality.
“Sports are sports, but the reality is that our world is becoming more digital and technological,” said Lin in a phone interview on Thursday. “Nowadays if you don’t use technology, you’re at a disadvantage.”
The NBA’s adoption of HomeCourt represents another win for AI in sports, following the technology’s expanded presence in financial services, manufacturing, public security and other sectors.