New York, N.Y. – May 30, 2012 – ABC’s Times Square Studios: Commentators Mark Jones (l) and Jay Bilas with prospect Harrison Barnes during the NBA Draft Lottery
(photo by Lou Rocco/ESPN Images)
Harrison Barnes brought some new toys to his new Dallas Mavericks teammates.
The 24-year-old, who is a Fitbit ambassador, gifted each of his teammates with Fitbit Blaze devices. The Blaze is a smartwatch that can track heart rate, displays on screen workouts, provides users with workout summaries and more. Users are also able to receive notifications from their smartphones on the device.
Barnes posted a photo of his team’s new gadgets to social media with the message, “I wanted to give our game an extra edge this season with the Fitbit Blaze. Excited to be a part of the team and can’t wait to battle with you this year.”
Barnes, who played the last four seasons with the Golden State Warriors and won an NBA championship before being signing with Dallas, has always been a technology proponent. In a past interview with Sporttechie, Barnes said he uses the Fitbit Blaze and notes that data-driven technology has become trend in the NBA.
“Back in college, we watched highlight reels but in the NBA, teams are looking to measure and optimize every aspect of the game,” he said. “Technology plays a big role here with motion sensors and other tools. That’s why my Fitbit is such a useful tool for me. I’m able to track things like active minutes and how I’ve slept.”
It’s clear that Barnes doesn’t just use the Fitbit in promotions. Barnes said that his Fitbit shows him how long and how well he has slept every night and that it has positively affected his performance on the court.
“I’ve always been interested in technology and there’s a natural connection between technology and basketball,” Barnes said. “I’m constantly looking to take my game to the next level, so when the opportunity came up for me to partner with the market leader in wearable fitness tracking, it made sense.”
