April 2020 - 18

Basketball
never stops
with HomeCourt
The revolutionary basketball training app
helps hoopers take game to new heights
By Wesley Sykes, Managing Editor
As the popular Nike slogan suggests, basketball never
stops. The people from HomeCourt, a basketball training
app, have taken this slogan to new heights - helping
basketball players of all ages and skill levels improve their
game anywhere at any time.
The app is designed to test and improve skill sets for
basketball players, ranging from shooting, ball-handling,
finishing and agility. Additionally, using advanced artificial
intelligence (AI) called " Shot Science, " HomeCourt is
capable of giving real-time feedback on release times, release
angles, vertical, speed, leg angles and shot filters.
Whether you're a coach, athletic trainer or physical
education teacher, HomeCourt can help set up a virtual team
or class group for players to stay connected and continue
skill development on their own time.
Birthed by NEX Team Inc., a mobile AI company started
by a team of entrepreneurs and former Apple, Google and
Facebook engineers and employees, HomeCourt combines
cutting edge mobile, AI and computer vision technologies
with deep community engagement experiences within the
basketball world. To date, HomeCourt is used by players in
more than 170 countries worldwide and has tracked more
than 45 million shots and 70 million dribbles.
How it works
After downloading the app, users should set up their
device on a tripod, standing at three-to-five feet, and ensure
that the player, backboard and the entire 3-point line are in
view.
Ball-handling drills require only a ball, and by utilizing
a smartphone or tablet's front-facing camera, athletes
can complete challenges in real-time - not only tracking
individual progression and performance, but seeing where
18 | 2020 Tech Guide
they rank among other users in the app's contest feature.
Players are then scored by the apps " Skill Ratings " feature,
developed in partnership with the NBA, to help measure
their work and improvement across a variety of core
basketball skill areas. Skill Ratings are based on the four
criteria HomeCourt believes to reflect strong performance
in actual games: accuracy, speed, consistency and difficulty.
The ratings are calculated on a scale from 0 to 99. For
example, some of the best 3-point shooters in the NBA
would score in the 90+ range.
Speaking of shooting, the game-changing tool " Shot
Science " can offer real-time feedback on all of the finer
points in a player's shot. With " Shot Science, " a player is
able to gain advanced insights that are unable to be tracked
by the naked eye, allowing the player to train smarter and
more efficiently.
Ever wonder if you're getting too much arc on your shots?
How about how much lift you have on your vertical? Does
your release angle differ on catch-and-shoot plays and off the
dribble? If so, by how much?
" Shot Science " and HomeCourt can help players answer
those questions and form consistent shooting habits.
Get in the game
Knowing the natural competitive nature of basketball
players, HomeCourt has a challenge/contest feature available
to test their skills with other players all over the world or
teammates alike. A recent challenge, for example, urged
users to replicate signature moves from NBA stars like Trae
Young's patented step back 3-pointer, Donovan Mitchell's
spin move and Eric Gordon's catch and release.
Pairing hoop-heads of all ages with some of the game's top
players has been a cornerstone approach for HomeCourt.
April 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of April 2020
