 |
| Awesome! |
NBA AND NBPA TO HONOR 75th ANNIVERSARY OF FIRST BLACK NBA PLAYERS THROUGHOUT 2025-26 SEASON
– NBA Pioneers Chuck Cooper, Nathaniel “Sweetwater” Clifton and Earl Lloyd Became First Black Players in the NBA 75 Years Ago –
– Inaugural NBA Pioneers Classic to Feature Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics on Saturday, Feb. 1 at 3:30 P.M. ET on ESPN –
NEW YORK, Oct. 2, 2025 – The National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) today announced that they will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the NBA Pioneers – Chuck Cooper, Nathaniel “Sweetwater” Clifton and Earl Lloyd, the league’s first Black players – throughout the 2025-26 season.
As part of the celebration, the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics will tip off Black History Month and celebrate NBA Pioneers Day with the inaugural NBA Pioneers Classic on Saturday, Feb. 1 at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. Going forward, the NBA Pioneers Classic will be played between two NBA teams on Feb. 1 – NBA Pioneers Day – each year to recognize the start of Black History Month and honor the legacy of the NBA Pioneers. As part of the matchup, the Bucks and Celtics will be outfitted with commemorative jersey patches and warm-up shirts, with the winning team receiving the NBA Pioneers Trophy.
“Chuck Cooper, Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton and Earl Lloyd’s courage and determination broke barriers and changed the course of NBA history,” said NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum. “We look forward to honoring their enduring legacy around this milestone anniversary and in the many years to come.”
“As we celebrate the 75th anniversary and legacy of the NBA Pioneers Chuck Cooper, Nathaniel “Sweetwater” Clifton and Earl Lloyd we are reminded that if not for the courage, determination, and resilience of Black athletes, our league would not be what it is today,” said NBPA Foundation Executive Director Erika Swilley. “Our players thank them for paving the way for future generations and for their impact that extends far beyond the basketball court.”
“On behalf of the Cooper, Clifton and Lloyd families, we are grateful to the NBA and NBPA for this incredible recognition and for establishing the annual NBA Pioneers Classic and Day,” said Chuck Cooper III. “Ensuring our fathers’ legacies continue to inspire future generations and fans.”
Throughout Black History Month and at NBA All-Star 2026 in Los Angeles, the NBA and NBPA will host community events, hold in-game moments recognizing the NBA Pioneers, share educational resources from partners, promote player content and curate a digital NBA Black History virtual gallery across NBA social channels and on the Black History Month webpage on NBA.com (https://www.nba.com/bhm). In addition, the 5th annual NBA HBCU Classic presented by AT&T between Hampton University and North Carolina A&T State University will take place at NBA All-Star 2026, and NBA teams will wear special warm-up shirts throughout February to celebrate the legacy of Cooper, Clifton and Lloyd.
The NBA and NBPA’s season-long celebration of the NBA Pioneers tipped off during the 2025 NBA Draft presented by State Farm when the family members of Cooper, Clifton and Lloyd were recognized. NBA stars Jaylen Brown, Stephen Curry and Karl-Anthony Towns reflected on the impact, influence and legacy of the NBA Pioneers here.
In 1950, Cooper was the first Black player drafted into the league (April 25), Clifton was the first to sign with an NBA team (May 24), and Lloyd was the first to appear in an NBA game (Oct. 31). Their resilience, vision and leadership fundamentally reshaped the game, laying the foundation for a more dynamic league and inspiring generations to dream bigger and push further. Read more about the history of what the Pioneers overcame here.
NBA AND AWS ANNOUNCE NEW MULTI-YEAR PARTNERSHIP
TO POWER THE NEXT ERA OF BASKETBALL INNOVATION
- AWS to Become the Official Cloud and Cloud AI Partner of the NBA,
WNBA, NBA G League, Basketball Africa League and NBA Take-Two Media -
- New Cloud AI Platform, Built on AWS, to Power League-wide Innovation and Bring New Level of Access to NBA and WNBA Fans -
NEW YORK, Oct. 1, 2025 – The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Amazon Web Services (AWS) today announced a multi-year partnership to power the league’s next generation of innovation as AWS will become the Official Cloud and Cloud AI Partner of the NBA and its affiliate leagues, including the WNBA, NBA G League, Basketball Africa League and NBA Take-Two Media.
As part of the partnership, the NBA and AWS will launch NBA Inside the Game powered by AWS, a new basketball intelligence platform that will turn billions of data points into compelling insights and interactive experiences, reimagining how fans engage with the game of basketball worldwide.
Built on AWS’s industry-leading AI infrastructure, the platform will introduce a suite of features that enhance live broadcasts and elevate fan experiences across the NBA App, NBA.com, and the league’s social channels.
“Partnering with AWS provides us with an opportunity to elevate the live game experience through innovation and offer fans a deeper understanding of the game of basketball for years to come,” said NBA Executive Vice President and Head of Media Operations and Technology Ken DeGennaro. “AWS has a proven track record of delivering unique statistical insights and offering transformative experiences that will resonate with NBA fans around the world.”
“At AWS, we’re excited by the NBA’s vision to push the boundaries of what’s possible in sports," said AWS Vice President of Professional Services & Agentic AI Francessca Vasquez. "This partnership will showcase how cloud and AI can reimagine the game of basketball - from generating new insights to creating experiences that bring fans closer to the game they love. Together, we’re delivering technology that not only enhances live broadcasts and digital platforms, but also transforms how players, coaches, and fans understand basketball."
AI-Powered Advanced Stats
The NBA will leverage AWS’s AI capabilities to provide fans with live stats and comprehensive analytics during games. This new advanced statistics platform processes the NBA’s player tracking data, which analyzes the movements of 29 data points per player using machine learning and AI to contextualize in-game developments and generate real-time insights. Fans can deepen their understanding of the game by accessing new statistics via the NBA App, NBA.com and during live NBA games, including during NBA on Prime broadcasts.
Throughout the 2025-26 season, the NBA and AWS will introduce new AI-powered stats that capture aspects of basketball performance that have not been measured previously, starting with:
- Defensive Box Score: Reimagining Basketball’s Fundamental Metric
Defensive Box Score quantifies individual defensive contributions that traditional statistics cannot measure. AI algorithms detect which defender is responsible for each offensive player in real-time. Once the primary defender is determined, the traditional box score can now be enhanced by identifying the defender at the time each stat was recorded. Additional new metrics like ball pressure, double teams and defensive switches can now be viewed and tallied as well.
- Shot Difficulty: The Science of Shooting
Shot Difficulty transcends traditional make-or-miss statistics to evaluate every aspect of each shot attempt. The difficulty of attempted shots will be quantified with new stats such as Expected Field Goal % which takes into account various factors such as the shooter's orientation and setup, defensive contest details related to pressure, interference, and each player’s positioning on the court. This new statistic gives fans a deeper appreciation for the skill and strategy behind every scoring attempt.
- Gravity: Quantifying the Invisible Impact
Gravity showcases what coaches and analysts have observed for years – how certain players create advantages for teammates simply by being on the court, even without touching the ball. This new stat measures the level of attention a player receives from the defense, including how closely they’re guarded with or without the ball, to quantify the amount of space they create for their teammates. This revolutionary system processes optical tracking data 60 times per second, using custom neural networks to analyze how defenders react to specific players, while factoring in real-time game context and historical data.
Transforming Basketball Intelligence
NBA Inside the Game powered by AWS will also feature a first-of-its-kind technology called “Play Finder,” which uses AI to analyze and understand player movements across thousands of games. Utilizing AWS services such as Amazon Bedrock and Amazon SageMaker, the feature will enable instant search and retrieval of similar plays, laying the foundation for future generative AI integrations built on player tracking data. Play Finder will help fans and broadcasters learn common offensive strategies and explore deeper insights by combining play results with advanced analytics.
A real-time alert system within Play Finder will enable commentators to instantly provide historical context and strategic insights, making every live game more engaging, educational, and insightful for viewers. NBA teams will have direct access to the ML models powering Play Finder to improve their front office and coaching workflows.
Future iterations of Play Finder will allow fans to explore basketball strategy with unprecedented depth on the NBA App.
Global Fan Engagement
The NBA App, NBA.com and NBA League Pass, delivering year-round NBA coverage and programming to fans around the world, will run on AWS. Through this partnership with AWS, the NBA will accelerate basketball’s growth worldwide by offering fans new and unique opportunities to understand team strategy and the concepts that lead to execution on the court. Additionally, the NBA and AWS will deliver in-language content and personalized experiences to fans across platforms.
The NBA’s partnership with AWS broadens its strategic relationship with Amazon. This season marks the start of Prime Video’s landmark 11-year media rights agreement with 66 regular-season NBA matchups streaming on Prime Video globally, and a suite of new interactive features set to debut. Prime Video will also serve as the strategic partner and third-party global subscriptions store destination for NBA League Pass, offering streaming of live and on-demand games in the U.S. and internationally. The first night of the NBA on Prime will feature a doubleheader on Friday, Oct. 24 during the first week of the season, with the Celtics visiting the Knicks (7:30 p.m. ET) and the Lakers hosting the Timberwolves (10 p.m. ET) in two rematches from the NBA Playoffs 2025.
2026 NBA HBCU CLASSIC PRESENTED BY AT&T TO BE PLAYED IN KIA FORUM DURING NBA ALL-STAR 2026
– CAA Matchup Featuring Hampton University and North Carolina A&T State University on Feb. 13 –
NEW YORK, Sept. 15, 2025 – The NBA today announced that the 2026 NBA HBCU Classic presented by AT&T featuring the Hampton University Pirates and North Carolina A&T Aggies men’s basketball teams will take place on Friday, Feb. 13, during NBA All-Star 2026 in Los Angeles. The Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) matchup will be played in the Kia Forum in Inglewood at 8 p.m. PT as part of the fifth NBA HBCU Classic presented by AT&T.
“Hampton University and North Carolina A&T State University are two premier HBCU institutions with a historic rivalry that represents the pride, tradition and excellence of HBCU basketball,” said NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum. “We look forward to hosting both teams in Los Angeles as part of NBA All-Star 2026 and celebrating the culture and competition of these two storied programs.”
The 2026 NBA HBCU Classic presented by AT&T is a continuation of the NBA’s commitment to increasing support and awareness for athletics and advancing educational, career and economic opportunities in partnership with HBCUs. The NBA and AT&T will jointly donate $100,000 to Hampton University and $100,000 to North Carolina A&T State University. Since 2021, when the NBA expanded its commitment to HBCUs, the NBA family has contributed more than $5.5 million to HBCU institutions, partners and scholarships.
“The CAA is excited to partner with the NBA in showcasing the Hampton and North Carolina A&T men’s basketball programs in a conference matchup set to take place in the NBA HBCU Classic,” said CAA Commissioner Joe D’Antonio. “The NBA has been a consistent supporter in bringing elevated exposure to HBCUs. The ability to work with the world’s premier organization for basketball is an incredible opportunity that aligns with the core values of the Conference and its membership in maintaining the importance of being ‘United in Excellence’. We are eager to see two of our institutions shine at NBA All-Star 2026 in February.”
“We are incredibly honored and excited for Hampton Men’s Basketball to participate in the 2026 NBA HBCU Classic during NBA All-Star 2026 in Los Angeles,” said Hampton University Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Anthony D. Henderson, Sr. “This is not only a tremendous opportunity for two historic institutions to showcase the talent, tradition, and excellence of our student-athletes on a national stage, but also a celebration of the rich legacy of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Thank you to the NBA and the CAA for this unbelievable opportunity as we look forward to bringing Pirate pride to the West Coast and providing a once-in-a-lifetime experience for our student-athletes.”
“North Carolina A&T State University looks forward to taking our wonderful college basketball rivalry with Hampton University, steeped with rich history of both historically black institutions, and showcase it to the world at the 2026 NBA HBCU Classic during NBA All-Star 2026 in Los Angeles,” said North Carolina A&T State University Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, Earl M. Hilton III. “Both schools have produced quality student-athletes from Al Attles to Rick Mahorn and have shaped American history with such prominent figures as the A&T Four and Booker T. Washington. Therefore, it will be an honor to share this international stage with Hampton University. The NBA and the CAA have provided us with a wonderful opportunity, and Coach Ross and our student-athletes will be sure to bring Aggie Pride to LA.”
Tickets and broadcast information for the 2026 NBA HBCU Classic presented by AT&T will be available at a later date. Fans can keep up with the latest information about NBA All-Star experiences and packages by visiting https://nbaevents.nba.com/.
STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF JASON COLLINS AND FAMILY
NEW YORK, Sept. 11, 2025 – The following statement was issued today on behalf of Jason Collins and his family:
“NBA Ambassador and 13-year NBA veteran Jason Collins is currently undergoing treatment for a brain tumor. Jason and his family welcome your support and prayers and kindly ask for privacy as they dedicate their attention to Jason’s health and well-being.”
NBA TEAM MARKETS TO HOST EMIRATES NBA CUP SEMIFINALS BEGINNING WITH 2026-27 SEASON
– Semifinal Games to Be Played at Home Arena of Higher Seed in Each Conference –
– NBA Board of Governors Approves Change to Coach’s Challenge Rules –
NEW YORK, Sept. 10, 2025 – The National Basketball Association (NBA) announced today that the Emirates NBA Cup Semifinals will be played at the home arena of the higher-seeded team in each conference, beginning with the 2026-27 NBA season.
Under existing rules that will continue through the 2025-26 NBA season, the Emirates NBA Cup Semifinals and Championship are played at a neutral site (T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas for the upcoming season). Starting with the Emirates NBA Cup during the 2026-27 NBA season, the Championship will be the only game played at a neutral site.
Also today, the NBA Board of Governors approved a change to the Coach’s Challenge rules. Beginning with the 2025-26 NBA season, during review following a Coach’s Challenge of an out-of-bounds violation, the Replay Center official, instead of the on-court crew chief, will determine whether a proximate foul should have been called. The adjustment was approved to expedite the replay review process.
Last season marked the first time that, as part of a Coach’s Challenge to an out-of-bounds violation, NBA referees could determine whether a proximate foul should have been called on the play. The rule required the on-court crew chief to make this determination, but the decision will now be made by the Replay Center official.
The Coach’s Challenge rule change was unanimously recommended by the NBA Competition Committee and the league office.
