Nike Basketball Introduces Technology To Measure Your Game Like Never Before

You had to figure at some point it was going to come to this. At some point in the future, your body was going to be more than just a vehicle. Someone would turn it into a machine, into a statistical measurement. Now it’s real. After unveiling many of their summer Olympic products yesterday, today Nike is introducing the world to a brand new technology that’s unlike anything we’ve ever seen or tried: Nike+ Basketball and Nike+ Training.

Amazingly, the Nike Hyperdunk+ tracks every move of your game, and syncs directly to your phone, letting you know exactly how high, how quick and how hard you play. Your progress gets rewarded, and every stat lets you measure up your friends and competitors.

While Nike+ was first used in running products six years ago, we were in the house as Nike, Inc. President & CEO Mark Parker unveiled the new Nike+ technology at an event in New York attended by U.S. sprinter Allyson Felix, Super Bowl Champion Victor Cruz, and boxing world champion Manny Pacquiao.

“Nike+ allows us to connect the physical world of sport with the social elements of digital to create a better sport experience for every athlete,” said Parker. “It’s about much more than a shoe. It represents a shift for NIKE from product, to product + experiences.”

So how does it work? Built into each shoe – in this case, the new Nike+ Hyperdunk that was revealed yesterday – is a new Nike+ Pressure Sensor that collects information about the user’s movement, wirelessly transmitting that data to their phone. In this way, you’ll be able to see things like vertical leap, speed and even the power behind how hard you’re playing. The pressure sensors are found under the heel, big toe, and first and fifth metatarsal.

Another dope feature is ‘Showcase’ mode. You might remember something similar that they’ve often used in the dunk contest. It’s a feature where you can record a dunk, superimposing their live data on the video before sharing it all via social media.

“I think Nike+ Basketball will change the game,” said LeBron James, who will be wearing the first basketball shoe this summer with this tech. “Giving every player access to this level of information will have a huge impact on the way players train and play the game.”

“When you’re growing up and playing the game of basketball, your friends are your competition,” said James. “Young players will be excited to track their stats to earn bragging rights or showcase their best plays on video. They’ll be anxious to get back out on the court to improve their stats.”

New Nike+ shoes hit retail on June 29.

Hit page two for a dope photo gallery of the technology and Nike athletes like LeBron and Hope Solo.

What would be the best part of having technology like this?

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