Tracking basketball stats began by hand until Utah Jazz statistician Ron Beck became the guy to automate it, leading to the evolution of real time stats shown during NBA games. A Utah Jazz fixture for 40-plus years steps away from the game but leaves behind a legacy in the league.He told KUTV’s Kristen Kenney that he’s worked in the NBA for “over 2,600 games."“You can see this first shot by Malone he made,” he shows Kenney the pen and pencil ways of tracking stats back then.
Tracking stats began by hand until Beck became the guy to automate it, leading to the evolution of real time stats at your fingertips.The stats you see on the monitors in the arenathat’s him! Beck pioneered a system that forever changed the NBA. “I would get calls from the league asking, how did you do this, how did you create this report,” he told Kenney, adding with sarcasm, “I never charged them money but I should have.”“It’s a family affair,” says Beck who has passed on the stat game to his son and grandson.
“That’s one of the reasons I can retire,” he chuckled, knowing his family can continue his legacy each game night.