Charles Barkley needed help understanding how virtual fans work (Video)

Charles Barkley just asked the question all of us were too embarrassed to raise

The NBA’s latest innovative idea of essentially giving fans a courtside seat at the bubble during games by letting them “skype” in is the new normal, but not everyone fully understands how it works. Charles Barkley, for one, ought to be in the know considering he’s given access to NBA conference calls where such things would be discussed. Evidently, Chuck wasn’t paying attention.

The Inside the NBA team loves to make jokes at Barkley’s expense, but this is actually a semi-legitimate question worded quite poorly. Barkley wanted to know if the players could see the fans sitting in their “courtside” seats, or if they were merely on a greenscreen of sorts, or super-imposed onto the sidelines for viewers at home.

So, how do the NBA’s bubble tickets work?

A simpler, better way to ask this question. Thank you, kind reader!

The NBA partners with Microsoft Teams to give fans as close to a real in-game experience as possible. All fans need is a computer or laptop capable of running their app and some stable WiFi. Tickets can be hard to come by, with some teams giving priority to season ticket holders with others running a lottery system, and seating is limited. Once chosen, fans must log on 30 minutes prior to opening tip and enjoy the experience. And yes, players can see the fans.

The NBA restart is going swimmingly so far, and sports fans have to applaud their ability to adjust on the fly with very little setbacks. With the cooperation of players and league owners, Adam Silver has once again proven the Association is a step above the rest.