Watch: FIBA set to debut stunning new LED glass courts at the 2023 World Cup

Just last year on 1st October 2022, FIBA's Central Board approved the use of LED glass flooring at Level 1 competitions which featured wooden floors until now.

This weekend, FIBA officially gave us the first look at what looks like a floor from the future. With these floors all set to debut in the 2023 World Cup, the future of basketball is bright. Here is the first look at the floors:

FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis was excited to unveil these floors and had a lot to say at the FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup Quarter-Finals:

"It's a historical day for FIBA and for the players here in Madrid, who are being given an opportunity to compete on this amazing and innovative surface. There's been a lot of anticipation leading up to this moment and to be able to finally unveil this glass flooring court is really exciting.

"It's also fitting that the first games being played on it will be four highly competitive FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup Quarter-Finals.

"With this successful global premiere of the LED glass floor, we have another example of how we are joining two strategic priorities: 'Enlarge the FIBA Family' by endorsing and encouraging innovation in basketball, and ‘Women in Basketball’ by introducing the LED glass floor in a Women’s event."

The capabilities of these new floors cannot be understated. That said, it will take time for these floors to be fully developed and used across the basketball world.

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Fans wary of LED glass courts launched by FIBA

The new glass courts are as flashy as it gets in the basketball world. They caught a lot of eyes and naturally inspired a lot of mixed reactions on social media.

It is fair to say that most fans did not actually think that these courts are a good idea. Yes, they were appreciative of the flashy tech and lighting, but it seems that they were taken aback because they anticipate that the ball will bounce differently on these courts and it might even be much more slippery for the players to play on.

Let's look at some of the best social media reactions:

There was a consensus amongst the fans that the courts would be distracting and its main purpose is simply to bring more ad revenue.

Innovation is good, but it doesn't always work out for the best. Fans feat that this might be the case with these glass courts. That said, FIBA probably tested for the bounce and slipperiness of the courts before announcing that the 2023 World Cup would be played on these courts. Only time will tell how these courts truly play out.