David Zalubowski/Associated Press

The Brooklyn Nets' push to be at the forefront of NBA health and technology includes tracking the color of each player's urine, according to guard Joe Harris.

Zach Lowe of ESPN wrote a feature on the Nets' attempt to rebuild from their franchise nadir, which includes heavy investments in tracking player health. Brooklyn also tracks player diets, sleep patterns and soreness levels in addition to their urinary habits.

Urine color has a direct correlation with hydration levels, which is of the utmost importance for performance and long-term health.

Texas head football coach Tom Herman installed urine charts in the team's locker room so that players could self-assess their hydration. While this isn't quite on that level, it's clear the Nets want to be involved in every aspect of their players' health to protect the organization's investments.

"I could play another five years doing what they do," Randy Foye, who played for the Nets last season, told Lowe about the Nets' organizational philosophy.



With the near-constant innovation when it comes to advanced statistics, we're reaching a point where basically everything on the court is assessed and monitored. Even the most casual fan now knows that per-game statistics are rudimentary, that the three-point shot is only going to increase in proliferation due to efficiency and that contested mid-range shots are almost always bad ideas.

The next innovative forefront will be in the medical field as teams attempt to reduce injury risk as much as possible. The NBA has already made a concerted effort to reduce back-to-backs and long cross-country road trips, which have damaging effects on player bodies.

The teams themselves will continue hiring doctors, nutritionists and other specialists to track player health in hopes of gaining a competitive advantage.