The NBA clearly has MLB.tv envy…
And it’s not a bad thing! (now if only the NFL would start experimenting)

I have written before that Major League Baseball is the only major sports league to grasp the web and really innovate with MLB.tv and their successful iPhone App. Well the NBA is starting to test the waters.

During tonight’s Conference Finals, viewers can actually follow the game entirely on NBA.com with:

Four-Way Player Cams
- Follow Dwight Howard or Lebron James directly
- You can also choose between Robo Cam and Action Cam
- Swap audio and customize the tiled screen layout (very much like MLB.tv)
- No high definition option – but you can view in full screen

Socialize with Facebook, Twitter & MySpace
While watching the in-game player cams, you can login with Facebook, Twitter or MySpace and converse on NBA.com. The integration doesn’t look great and is far from YouTube’s Facebook Connect implementation, but it’s a good first step and, I believe, the first pro league integration of Facebook Connect.

Sponsorship
Of course, the experience is ad-supported (by Axe Dry) but the integration is slick and non-intrusive.

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