Avatars Hit the Hardwood

With the playoffs in full swing, the National Basketball Association is expecting its ambitious jump in to the virtual world to be a slam dunk with residents of Second Life.

On Monday, the NBA announced the launch of NBA Headquarters, the league's own private interactive virtual island. An avatar of NBA Commissioner David Stern unveiled the destination, which features, among other things, broadband video of classic games and highlights. Users can also have their avatars' pictures taken with the league's championship trophy.

"Bringing the NBA to the virtual world provides us with a new and innovative platform to reach our fans and the millions of residents in Second Life," said Stern in a press release. "The NBA Headquarters creates an interactive worldwide community where fans can come together, engage with our game, and most importantly, share in their passion for the NBA."

Second Life, the 3-D virtual world created by San Francisco-based Linden Lab, has become home to both individual users and big businesses. While residents are creating a 3-D virtual existence in order to design and sell goods for real money, corporations are clamoring to buy up virtual space, echoing the early days of the Internet boom in the late 1990's.

The NBA's virtual destination, developed with The Electric Sheep Company, will provide basketball fans and Second Life residents with access to comprehensive features.

"The NBA is a sports innovator, being the first professional sports league to unveil a comprehensive headquarters in a virtual world," Sibley Verbeck, CEO of Electric Sheep, said in a statement. "The NBA is engaging its fan community at a whole new level, and bringing fans together from around the world."