• Loading stock data...
Friday, April 4, 2025
Nominations Are Open for Front Office Sports Honors! Submit Now

The Most Talked-about Part of the NBA Tourney? Look Down

  • Floors generate widespread rebuke for both design and safety.
  • Even critics acknowledge that the new floors provided strong marketing for the league.
Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

Amid the success of the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament, there has been a very notable and visually jarring exception: the court design.

The league introduced a set of 30 new designs aimed at creating separation between the tournament and regular-season games. For many teams, the feel is vastly different from their normal games. 

Those new looks, containing a unified design template for the first time in league history, are aimed in part to link to each team’s City Edition alternate uniform. Notably, the courts also are completely painted with no natural wood showing. 

The bolder designs, league officials said, were also boosted at the urging of commissioner Adam Silver, who pushed staffers to be “bigger and bolder” in their thinking.

There were two significant problems, however, with that approach: how fans felt about the floors, and how players felt. 

The floors quickly generated widespread rebuke among fans, particularly across social media, even as TV ratings for tournament games showed strength. Players primarily voiced a different and more pressing complaint, as the new courts were seen by many as slippery and an injury hazard. Celtics guard Jaylen Brown, whose $304 million contract is the richest in league history, hurt his groin in a game against Toronto and blamed the new courts.

“As players, we’re all here for the in-season tournament because it’s going to generate revenue, excitement, competition,” Brown said last month. “We’ve got to make sure the floor is safe to play on. We can’t put our players out there and risk their health.”

Costs for alternate courts such as these are estimated at $75,000 to $150,000 each, but some for the tourney are reported to be rented.

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban told the Dallas Morning News he’s “not a fan of the courts,” but that sentiment was quickly coupled with praise: “It was a brilliant marketing idea.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Potawatomi Sportsbook patrons watch the University of Wisconsin men play UCLA on Friday, March 14, 2025. The venue is open for the first time during March Madness and is expecting to be busy over the next few weeks in Milwaukee.

All Signs Point to Trump Admin OK’ing Kalshi’s Sports Contracts

The federal government appears ready to approve Kalshi’s sports event contracts.
Flau'Jae Johnson

Flau’jae Johnson Picks LSU Over WNBA Draft

The LSU star and rapper will stay another year in school.
Dawn Staley

Women’s March Madness Has a Portal Problem. Can GMs Solve It?

Final Four coaches are calling agents and players between practices.
Mar 30, 2025; Spokane, WA, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Cori Close looks on against the LSU Lady Tigers during the first half of a Elite 8 NCAA Tournament basketball game at Spokane Arena.

UCLA’s Rise to the Final Four: Cori Close’s Blueprint for a New..

The UCLA women’s team is in the Final Four for the first time in the NCAA era.

Featured Today

Dec 27, 2024; San Jose, California, USA; San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (71) skates during warm ups before their game against the Vegas Golden Knights at SAP Center at San Jose

Macklin Celebrini and the Sharks Rookies Have Brought Good Vibes to a..

The rookie’s arrival has boosted spirits incongruously high inside the flagging franchise.
Mar 26, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) in the first half Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
April 1, 2025

The Creator Behind the LeBron ‘Glazing’ Trend Sweeping TikTok

FOS spoke to TikTok user OkaySpade who made the original song.
Mar 22, 2025; Providence, RI, USA; McNeese State Cowboys manager Amir Khan before a second round men’s NCAA Tournament game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Amica Mutual Pavilion
April 1, 2025

Inside the 24-Hour NIL March Madness Deals

Some of the most viral partnerships come together overnight.
Seattle Kraken
April 1, 2025

Samantha Holloway Is Seattle’s NHL Present—and Hopeful NBA Future

Samantha Holloway is steering the Kraken and hoping to revive pro hoops.
Jessica Pegula

Jessica Pegula on Tennis: Pay, Saudi Deals, and Women’s Sports Boom

Pegula wants tennis players to receive more prize money.
Los Angeles Golf Club owners Alexis Ohanian and Serena Williams cheer for their team against the New York Golf Club during the TGL semifinal match at SoFi Center on March 17, 2025, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
exclusive
April 1, 2025

Alexis Ohanian Bid on NFL Flag Football, Serena Williams Exploring Franchise

Ohanian is the first known bidder for the flag football leagues.
Kelly Coleman, pro bat lead operator, inspects a torpedo bat after it comes out of a baseball bat lathe at the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory in Louisville, Ky. on Mar. 31, 2025.
April 2, 2025

‘Torpedo’ Bat Sales Boom As Debate Rages About Effectiveness

Several manufacturers report historic interest in the much-debated bat design.
Sponsored

How UBS Crafts Impactful Partnerships Across Sports, Arts, and Culture

As UBS continues to expand its impressive array of sports and entertainment partnerships, the company solidifies its position as a leader in wealth management.
April 1, 2025

Goodell, Owners Signal 18-Game NFL Season Is Coming—Eventually

The idea of a longer schedule ties into several other league initiatives.
Laney-Hamilton
April 1, 2025

WNBA Champion Missing Season Shows Risks and Kinks of Unrivaled

The Liberty have six weeks to make a decision on Betnijah Laney-Hamilton.
Nov 10, 2024; Munich, Germany; The NFL shield logo at midfield during the 2024 NFL Munich Game at Allianz Arena.
April 1, 2025

NFL’s Global Ambitions Now Extend to Abu Dhabi

Three teams gain marketing rights to the United Arab Emirates.
April 1, 2025

NFL Tush Push Vote Has Been Pushed

Owners table a vote on the highly debated quarterback sneak play.