Orlando’s high-tech glass basketball court offers a glimpse into the future

The ASB GlassFloor in Orlando, the only one of its kind in the U.S., is transforming basketball training with its high-tech glass surface and LED lighting, drawing interest from NBA teams and players.Rajon Rondo, a former NBA player for 16 years, who won two championships and appeared in four All-Star Games, praised the court’s unique style and its ability to teach young players. “Next level. I wish it was in the game when I played, unique court, especially the style of being able to teach the kids on the court, being able to draw in a great place, where a guy should be on the floor. It’s very innovative and very helpful for the next generation,” Roondo said. Now an assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks, Rondo noted the court’s ability to make players feel at home, with customizable team logos and nicknames. “It makes you feel like you’re at home, you know, home. You can do that for every team. I’m sure guys like that and appreciate that,” he said.Chris Thornton, who oversees the facility, explained its partnership with the NBA, allowing players to practice on the glass floor when visiting Orlando. “Basketball has been played for a hundred years on wood, and never before has there been a new surface introduced until now,” Thornton said. The court offers benefits such as a softer landing surface, consistent grip, and visibility of sweat marks, enhancing player performance. “There’s a lot of benefits to the athlete. One, it’s softer when they’re landing, and they’re impacting. It’s lighter on their knees. It’s lighter on their ankles. The grip is a more consistent grip. And the third thing is if the floor gets wet from a sweat drip, you can see the sweat mark or the water mark much more clearly on the glass floor,” Thornton said.Christof, the founder of the German-engineered technology, described the court’s unique features, including a matte translucent finish and ceramic dots for grip and sound. “Well, what we’re in touch with — what you’re interacting with essentially is, piece of glass, glazing, security, safety glass, into glass. It’s a bit special because on the top layer we have a matte translucent finish, which makes you feel like the line on this basketball coat is actually on the top of the glass, rather than sitting underneath it. And we have ceramic dots. And this ceramic does provide the grip and iconic sort of sound that you get on a basketball court,” Christof said.The court’s design can be customized via an iPad, offering opportunities for player performance analysis and branding. Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner shared his experience playing on the glass floor overseas, highlighting its marketing potential. “It’s a really cool experience — you can do a lot of cool marketing stuff with it — have a bunch of signs on the court — definitely a different experience from a normal court, but I had a lot of fun,” Wagner said.Anthony Black, Wagner’s teammate, expressed interest in testing the court, envisioning features like stats and shot clocks displayed on the floor. “I imagine they could put stats on the floor — different things — maybe a shot clock on the floor, which could be good for players,” Black said.The ASB GlassFloor was showcased at the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, demonstrating its versatility with high-tech graphics and real-time stats. Thornton emphasized the court’s potential for fan engagement and multimedia experiences in arenas. “I don’t think the hardwood ever goes away, but it’s a fan experience in the arena because you now can do a complete multimedia takeover of an arena, whether it’s a sponsorship, whether it’s a fan activation, you name it, it gives you endless potential for an arena,” Thornton said.In a significant development, UCF will play on an ASB GlassFloor Court for the Big 12 championship, highlighting the growing interest in this innovative technology.

ORLANDO, Fla. —

The ASB GlassFloor in Orlando, the only one of its kind in the U.S., is transforming basketball training with its high-tech glass surface and LED lighting, drawing interest from NBA teams and players.

Rajon Rondo, a former NBA player for 16 years, who won two championships and appeared in four All-Star Games, praised the court’s unique style and its ability to teach young players.

“Next level. I wish it was in the game when I played, unique court, especially the style of being able to teach the kids on the court, being able to draw in a great place, where a guy should be on the floor. It’s very innovative and very helpful for the next generation,” Roondo said.

Now an assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks, Rondo noted the court’s ability to make players feel at home, with customizable team logos and nicknames.

“It makes you feel like you’re at home, you know, home. You can do that for every team. I’m sure guys like that and appreciate that,” he said.

Chris Thornton, who oversees the facility, explained its partnership with the NBA, allowing players to practice on the glass floor when visiting Orlando.

“Basketball has been played for a hundred years on wood, and never before has there been a new surface introduced until now,” Thornton said.

The court offers benefits such as a softer landing surface, consistent grip, and visibility of sweat marks, enhancing player performance.

“There’s a lot of benefits to the athlete. One, it’s softer when they’re landing, and they’re impacting. It’s lighter on their knees. It’s lighter on their ankles. The grip is a more consistent grip. And the third thing is if the floor gets wet from a sweat drip, you can see the sweat mark or the water mark much more clearly on the glass floor,” Thornton said.

Christof, the founder of the German-engineered technology, described the court’s unique features, including a matte translucent finish and ceramic dots for grip and sound.

“Well, what we’re in touch with — what you’re interacting with essentially is, piece of glass, glazing, security, safety glass, into glass. It’s a bit special because on the top layer we have a matte translucent finish, which makes you feel like the line on this basketball coat is actually on the top of the glass, rather than sitting underneath it. And we have ceramic dots. And this ceramic does provide the grip and iconic sort of sound that you get on a basketball court,” Christof said.

The court’s design can be customized via an iPad, offering opportunities for player performance analysis and branding.

Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner shared his experience playing on the glass floor overseas, highlighting its marketing potential.

“It’s a really cool experience — you can do a lot of cool marketing stuff with it — have a bunch of signs on the court — definitely a different experience from a normal court, but I had a lot of fun,” Wagner said.

Anthony Black, Wagner’s teammate, expressed interest in testing the court, envisioning features like stats and shot clocks displayed on the floor.

“I imagine they could put stats on the floor — different things — maybe a shot clock on the floor, which could be good for players,” Black said.

The ASB GlassFloor was showcased at the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, demonstrating its versatility with high-tech graphics and real-time stats.

Thornton emphasized the court’s potential for fan engagement and multimedia experiences in arenas.

“I don’t think the hardwood ever goes away, but it’s a fan experience in the arena because you now can do a complete multimedia takeover of an arena, whether it’s a sponsorship, whether it’s a fan activation, you name it, it gives you endless potential for an arena,” Thornton said.

In a significant development, UCF will play on an ASB GlassFloor Court for the Big 12 championship, highlighting the growing interest in this innovative technology.