Would you play basketball on a glass floor? This German startup thinks you should.

Hardwood floors have been a staple of basketball courts for decades, but one German company is selling an unconventional upgrade: glass. While it may sound counterintuitive or dangerous, ASB GlassFloor’s products are already getting warm receptions from both NBA and college teams.

“I don’t know what I was expecting, but it squeaks like a real basketball court,” former University of Kentucky women’s team guard Cassidy Rowe said at the start of last season. “It just functions like a normal basketball court, but it’s showing our picture, which is crazy.”

Playing on a glass court isn’t as worrisome as it may sound. That’s because ASB’s design relies on multiple layers of engineering and technological reinforcements, including high-strength tempered safety glass along with a double-spring aluminum substructure to accommodate shock absorption. The glass floor’s surface layer also receives a computer-controlled deep etching procedure to create a matte texture with low friction. While playing on an ASB court may feel nearly identical to a standard court, the underlying physics allegedly offers a safer and more precise experience. This is due in part to a final layer of ceramic dots that coats the surface, allowing for more controlled sliding in wet conditions.

The end result is a basketball court that resembles a massive television or smartphone screen—which is all part of ASB’s plan. Their floors, previously showcased at arenas in Germany and Greece, as well as at the 2024 NBA All-Star weekend, are customizable thanks to a layer of LED paneling. This means a team or facility can project virtually anything onto the court through a smartphone or computer. Apart from player stats, advertisements, and decorative flourishes, ASB floors can also be programmed for practice regimens outside of actual games. Installing the glass court also hypothetically decreases the need for multiple hardwood stacks, as well as all the time and money that goes into swapping them out or installing updates.

The cost, however, remains a drawback for many locations. While ASB GlassFloor’s Americas division managing director Craig Thornton wouldn’t specify a pricepoint to the Associated Press, it’s confirmed to be much more expensive than a classic hardwood setup. So while large-budget venues for universities and the NBA may be open to investing in high-tech flooring, the glass alternative remains out of reach for most elementary and high school teams. But according to Thornton, it’s only a matter of time before glass floors become more common in sports.

“I use this analogy a lot: We’re at the initial stages of the iPhone being launched… Way back when Apple did that… the original iPhone was just a phone, a text device and music player,” he said. “Now you’re running your entire life and communicating to the world on it. I see this in the same regard.”

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