Sacramento Kings Using “Intuitive” Firstbeat Sports in New NBA Season

The Sacramento Kings have introduced the Firstbeat Sports athlete monitoring solution ahead of the 2020-21 NBA season, giving them access to the most comprehensive physiological analytics in team sports.

Firstbeat Sports is a single-platform solution that provides data on training load, intensity, fitness, performance readiness, stress, recovery, and more. The Kings (Western Conference) will join over 1,000 elite sports teams around the world using the solution for advanced physiological metrics, including fellow NBA teams and North American teams spanning the NFL, MLB, MLS, NHL, and collegiate level.

The Pacific Division franchise’s performance staff will be able to collect, upload, and respond to real-time player data such as TRIMP/min, Training Effect and Heart Rate Zones collected using the Firstbeat Sports app and Sensor, as well as inform training decisions based on post-session analysis in what is a unique season for all 32 NBA franchises.

Specifically, Sacramento began working with the Firstbeat Sports solution solution during training camp. They will continue to benefit from the next-generation solution that brings increased mobility and flexibility to coaching into the regular season and beyond.

Jesse Green, Sacramento Kings’ Head of Sport Science said:

“The Firstbeat Sports system has been fantastic to work with right out of the gate. It is simple and easy to setup, with a very intuitive UI. The Firstbeat Sports Sensors are very low profile, reducing the invasiveness of the technology which is ideal for our population and sport. And, when it comes to communicating heart rate data to coaches, the Firstbeat UI does a great job in creating visuals that are intuitive and easy to understand.

“The internal load data has really helped us contextualize the external loads we’re simultaneously collecting to add another layer to our data. Combining these two datasets has allowed us to better categorize the intensity of our drills and prescribe accordingly. Perhaps the most useful application of the Firstbeat Sports system so far has been on the assessment side of things. Being able to collect internal load data during fitness testing allows us to better profile our players as well as having the ability to prescribe more precise conditioning sessions.”

John Lally, Pivot Sports and a Firstbeat frontline voice for NBA customers said:

“I’m thrilled the Sacramento Kings have chosen to incorporate Firstbeat Sports data into their everyday experience of training and recovery. Firstbeat monitoring and data can help build a team’s philosophy, a team’s willingness to compete, and to work hard in the gym and on the court. The team is already gaining valuable insights into player assessment, player profiles and fitness development after only a couple of weeks of using the technology and that is a testament to the effort and vision of their staff.

“I am excited when a coach or athletes uses Firstbeat Sports in a way that allows them to gain insights and improve – to learn something new, something valuable about the way they train, and the way their athletes respond to certain demands or how they recover. I am inspired to hear how the Sacramento Kings staff have already taken the critical step of interpreting the new training load data and look forward to what can be achieved moving forward.”

The Sacremento Kings begin their 2020-21 NBA campaign on December 24 against the Denver Nuggets.

About Firstbeat Technologies: Firstbeat Technologies is a leading sports and wellness technology company. Our solutions transform physiological data into personalized guidance on exercise, stress, sleep and recovery. Hundreds of elite sports teams, thousands of wellness professionals, and top companies in over 40 countries trust Firstbeat to enhance performance and well-being. Our purpose is to help people reach their health and performance potential with science-backed confidence. The head office is located in Jyväskylä, Finland. For more information visit www.firstbeat.com

About Sacramento Kings: Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team founded in 1923 and based in Sacramento, California since 1985. They are a member of the National Basketball Association (NBA) Western Conference, Pacific Division and won the NBA Championship in 1951 when known as the Rochester Royals. Their head coach is Luke Walton and their General Manager is Monte McNair. They are owned by Vivek Randavivé.

Image & Logo: Sacramento Kings