NBA Reportedly Bans Midcourt Sideline TV Cameras: Latest Details, Reaction
The NBA has banned all midcourt sideline television cameras in order to enhance player and official safety, according to ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst.
The changes are effective immediately and came after official Scott Wall tripped over a cameraman during a Jan. 21 game between the Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies.
Finding a resolution for cameramen and NBA players has been discussed for a while, but the issue heightened in 2014, when Indiana Pacers star Paul George broke his right leg during a Team USA exhibition game in Las Vegas.
On Aug. 16, 2014, via Yahoo Sports, former NBA president of operations Rod Thorn told Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press that the league had discussed adjustments along the baseline long before George's injury:
"We have been studying this issue consistently over the last four years and these are just the latest adjustments to make the baselines an even safer area for our players, our team attendants and the photographers. Many of the incidents of contact between players and photographers are around the basket area, so we felt it made sense to increase the open area between the baskets and the first photographer to four feet.
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These changes to the midcourt cameras are the latest in ensuring safety across the board. Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James was involved in an incident during Game 4 of the 2015 NBA Finals, when he suffered a cut on his head after crashing headfirst into a baseline cameraman.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Lou Williams tweeted this after James suffered his head injury:
As Windhorst pointed out, the cameras are mainly used by national television crews, and Saturday's contest between the San Antonio Spurs and Cleveland Cavaliers on ABC did not feature them:
"The ban will affect national television games where cameramen were permitted to sit on each side of the floor at midcourt. Those positions were able to get high-quality, low-angle shots of both the floor and the benches. ... The National Basketball Referees Association had requested a change recently, sources said. As teams increase the number of 3-pointers and the depth of them, referees have been moving farther and farther out to create angles to officiate. This left them more susceptible to the cameramen near midcourt.
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Any changes that ensure safety is a top priority in the NBA are good ones. The number of incidents between players and cameramen, now along with referees, has increased, and these changes shouldn't affect the way fans view games from the comfort of their homes.
