Despite "assurances that biometric data will be used to develop strategies that could prolong their careers," pro athletes have "ample reason to believe that the information may also result in a big bite out of their future earnings," according to Jeremy Venook of THE ATLANTIC. In leagues around the world, wearable biometric trackers that provide stats such as heart rate and skin temperature are "the norm," but not in the NBA. The reason is the players' union, which is "far stronger in the NBA than in comparable leagues in other countries." Through the CBA process, the NBPA "carved out concessions that are keeping so-called 'wearables' off the court for the time being, and keeping the data out of the hands of coaches and managers." Players "know the data very well could end up costing them millions when they sign their next contracts." But "all that could change in the next few years, not just in basketball but in other leagues as well." The "more data teams aim to collect on their players, the harder it will become to police all the ways it can creep into negotiations." Once teams have "unfettered access to such data, a particularly nefarious executive may suddenly develop a new vocabulary at the negotiating table." By gathering "real-time biometric data, teams are moving one stop closer to transforming the market for players' labor into a market for players' bodies." In addition, with biometric data will come "new possibilities for accidental disclosure." The "general consensus seems to be that wearables will be arriving in American professional sports in full force." However, with that integration will come an "array of problems, both logistical and ethical, for the leagues to sort out, whether they're equipped to do that or not" (THEATLANTIC.com, 4/10).
