PORTLAND, Oregon – Brian Vau has been a NBA fan for 14 years, but has never had the kind of game he attended in Portland last week.
Not only did the Trail Blazers defeat the Memphis Grizzlies, he said for the first time in his life he felt involved in the game.
Vu, who has a low Vision, saw no one play during the Blazers' 115-99 victory. But he felt every score, every turn, every shot.
Using a tactile device, Vu, 32, has allowed him to track his actions in real time through vibrations felt by his fingers. The device was unveiled this season by Seattle-based OneCourt. After three pilot trials last spring last year, the Trail Blazers in January became the first NBA team to serve fans. Since then, Sacramento and Phoenix have also been offering devices in the game.
Using a laptop-sized device with basketball court contours, visually impaired users will feel vibrations indicating the movement of the ball. Earpite provides score updates and results of your play, whether it's stealing, blocking, 3 pointers or something else.
OneCourt founder Jerred Mace likens the concept to a tactile animator, creating the illusion of movement through pixels.
“We basically built this display that works just like a visual screen, but instead of the pixels you see, these are the pixels you feel,” Mace said.
So Vu couldn't do it look Blazers guard Scoot Henderson, his favorite player, zipping defense for layups, he feel Play through his fingertips, spreading over the device placed on his feet.
Brian Vu uses OneCourt device for visually impaired people to continue in the live Portland Trail Blazers game. (Jason Quick/Athletic)
Vu said his fan experience has changed exponentially.
“It's pretty cool. I feel more independent,” Vu said. “I usually bother my friends during the game and ask, 'What's going on?' So now I can interpret the game in my head…and I don't feel excluded. ”
Vu took part in the Blazers-Grizzlies game with his friend James Kim, a recipient of many of Vu's elbow jabs and questions during the game over the years. When the Blazers were separated in the third quarter, Kim and Vu were in sync when Shedon Sharp dunked, Donovan Klingan refused a shot, and Ohing and aahing.
“Usually he said, 'Who shot it? What's wrong?' That wasn't a big deal for me, but this is definitely an upgrade,” Kim said of Vu. “I think it's great for him because he can enjoy the game without having to stop the details from me.”
Vu's experience was what Mace wanted when brainstorming ideas as a University of Washington student. Mace, 24, grew up in Spokane, Washington with her disabled parents. He also wore glasses thick enough to have been called “goggles” by his classmates. He had astigmatism in his left eye – people could see 80 feet apart and 20 feet – and although his vision improved with surgery and wearing a patch above his right eye, he left enduring empathy and understanding for people with disabilities.
“I think you just bundled those experiences together and prepared my heart for this piece,” Mace said. “I think it gave me so much perspective and gratitude for what it's like to experience the world differently.”
During his junior year in Washington, he surfed social media. The woman in the stand moved her hands across the board to mimic the game action.
The idea for OneCourt was born.
“The physicality of that experience stood out to me. As someone who suffers from vision, it was a very attractive intersection for me,” Mace said.
The staff at OneCourt, led by founder Jerred Mace (right), created an effective way for visually impaired fans to enjoy athletic events. (Provided by OneCourt)
He presented his ideas at the University of Washington's 2022 Science and Technology Showcase. The idea was an early stage, a research poster without physical products, but won first place and a $2,000 prize.
In this contest, tennis was used as an example, but Mace had a broader aspirations. He knew the key he knew was to link ideas with readily available data. Starting with the 2023-24 season, all NBA arenas are equipped with light tracking technology that captures player and ball movements in real time. The NBA says there are up to 20 tracking devices located on the rafters of each arena.
Mace reaches out to the Trail Blazers with an idea and with their help he is introduced to the NBA. The league finds value by working with Mace.
“We're excited to announce that we're a great opportunity to see the company's new business venture,” said Jason Bieber, vice president of NBA's new business venture. “We are particularly excited to see OneCourt in our current cohort of NBA LaunchPad companies, so we can continue to explore and explore more possibilities in this space.”
Within four months, MACE had access to NBA data and began running pilot tests at the end of last season.
“When it comes to technology like this, the NBA is innovative when it comes to fan accessibility,” said Matthew Gardner, senior director of customer insights at Blazers. “They saw that they could do that and they said, 'Hey, that's fine. We'll unlock for you.”
Mace added: “I think (NBA) is always looking for new applications for data. This is something very special. It's not analytics for the backend. It's not a bet on the frontend. It can change someone's entire life and experience with sports.”
Blazers fans applaud and the onecourt device is placed on his lap. This device creates intensive yet intimate game day scenes for visually impaired people. (Courtesy of the Portland Trail Blazers)
Vu and Kim can prove: When Vu went through the Blazers games on a OneCourt device, it was a game changer. From the end zone seats, Vu and Kim were locked up and vocal like anyone in the arena.
Vu couldn't applause. However, his legs were constantly moving, and he chanted with the crowd, “Surprising! Surprising!”
“There's a steal and you can feel the vibrations go to the other side – really fast – I was very excited,” Vu said. “I knew why the crowd was cheering on. Previously, I didn't understand what was going on.”
Vu estimated he went to the Blazers game once a year. Hearing the crowds and sounds was exciting, but he always felt isolated and behind.
“It's a completely different experience now,” he said. “I have the best worlds of both.”
Kim smiled as he saw Vu's hands move quickly through the device and his feet were pounded nervously.
“He's really into the game,” Kim said, nodding towards his friend. “It looks like he's zoning on it.”
Gardner said several other NBA teams called and asked for feedback after the Blazers debuted their devices on Jan. 11. He tells the team that almost every home game has checked out at least one device and providing the device is essential to the fan experience.
“Being a fan must be for everyone,” Gardner said. “This unlocks a whole new world for blind and poor vision fans. We've seen it on every face of the people we've used.”
Mace said his eight-employee company, with five employees working full-time, dominates in demand as more teams ask about services. Portland and Sacramento have five devices that you can book or check out at the concourse in advance, while Phoenix has 10 devices. Thanks to NBA sponsor Ticketmaster, fans don't have to pay for the device.
Mace says the impact will expand beyond the number of people using the device.
“Yeah, this device only affects the five people in the stadium.” But really, the ripple effect is incredible,” Mace said. “Who's going to the game now – friends and family – has expanded as everyone can share the experience.”
Vu said after listening to the two-minute tutorial that the device is easy to use, but he hopes that the audio includes certain indications, such as which player has the ball and which player is filming. These may be future updates.
For now, Vu said that knowing the Blazers will provide the device would make him more likely to participate in more games.
“Yeah, 1,000%,” Vu said. “We could see it probably not just one game a year, but five times a year. That's just an experience.”
(Photo above, courtesy of the Portland Trail Blazers)
