The NBA, with official timekeeper Tissot, will unveil a new shot clock and integrated timing system at its summer league Thursday.
The updated shot clock mounted to the backboard includes the 24-second and game clocks as well as timeouts and will mark the first time that all 30 NBA teams will use the same system.
The system also will feature the most transparent piece of glass to date, allowing fans seated within its sight line a less obstructed view through to the court.
League officials reason that a clearer display of numbers, combined with an integrated system that automatically sends data to scoreboards and video equipment, should result in more precise calls made by on-site referees and for those checking those calls at the NBA Replay Center. Fail-safes with the new system are also more seamless, as one system can be replaced by its backup with the push of a button.
Players and fans also will notice that the block border around the clock is gone, and a solid yellow line will flash when the 24-second clock expires.
Tissot, which will enter its second year as the league's official timekeeper, will have its logo on all clocks. The company will deliver three shot-clock systems to each NBA arena by September, having commissioned the manufacturing of 30 tons of equipment for the project and sourcing 500,000 LED bulbs after trying out more than 30 prototypes.
The NBA introduced the 24-second shot clock during the 1954-55 season to speed up the game. The number 24 was devised by Syracuse Nationals owner Danny Biasone, who divided the game's 48 minutes into 120, the average of 60 shots per team in games played from the previous three seasons. Before the shot clock, teams would often spend a couple of minutes on one possession.
Tissot first started timing for sporting events at a ski competition in Switzerland in 1938. As part of the NBA deal, the brand gets global marketing rights to NBA-branded watches and accessories.