Why AI Is a Slam Dunk for the NBA

Thanks to the advent of player-tracking data in the NBA and the use of machine learning software running on powerful servers, we're on the cusp of having some fouls called automatically in professional basketball. But that is just the beginning of what AI can do in the NBA, according to Dwight Lutz, the senior director of basketball strategy and analytics for the Atlanta Hawks. In a virtual talk presented by The Society of HPC Professionals on Friday, Lutz says we're very close to having an AI referee that can call one specific foul: a defensive three-second (D3S) violation. Unless a defensive player is guarding an offensive player, or attempting a rebound, he is not allowed to be in the lane for more than three seconds, which is a rule the NBA instituted in 2001 to speed up game play and bolster offensive excitement. You can thank the maturation of the NBA's player tracking system, which was first implemented for the 2013-2014 season, for the advent of AI refs in the NBA.