Gregory Cartagena
Director, Basketball Technology Research and Partnerships
National Basketball Association
Age: 29
Born: Queens, N.Y.
Education: MIT, B.S., mechanical engineering, concentration in robotics
Family: Carmel
Gregory Cartagena leads system design for next-generation technologies, from automated officiating and player health to broadcast, media and team analytics. As a key member of the NBA Launchpad, the league’s R&D and innovation platform, he helps source, vet and pilot emerging technologies.
Social cause I’m most passionate about: Diversity and equality. I believe we all operate best from a free exchange of ideas from as many different backgrounds and perspectives as possible.
How I consume sports content: I mostly watch a live broadcast of the game with a group of friends and catch up on highlights that I miss on Instagram and league D2C apps.
How my expectations of a job in sports business matched reality: Heading in, I was excited to see how “sport team” culture translated to the business side of sport. I was (and still am) blown away by the scale, depth and passion that everyone brings to their work.
Impact of Gen Z’s viewing habits on live events: Gen-Z has access to far greater levels of short-form, personalized content. The industry has responded by cutting “low-value” time from live events and placing more emphasis on creating a personalized and customizable experience for live broadcast and in-arena experiences.
Best use cases for AI in sports: AI in sport is best applied when it democratizes data used to drive decision-making across elite play and the grassroots level. On the media side, there is a massive opportunity to leverage AI to hyperpersonalize the viewing experience for fans.
When I attend a sporting event, I want … : Snacks … and to see high effort, highly competitive gameplay.
You’d be surprised to know that I … : Tried building a basketball VR game in college where you could “feel” the ball bouncing in your hands.
