League talks AI at its annual All-Star weekend tech summit
McClung trying to become the fifth player to claim back-to-back dunk titles
INDIANAPOLIS — The NBA has used artificial intelligence for some time. It helps the league generate highlights in real time, gives referees assistance when determining if goaltending occurred, translates play-by-play into multiple languages and even powers the league’s app.
And more is undoubtedly on the way.
The league unveiled NB-AI, technology that the league says will “personalize the live game viewing experience,” at the annual All-Star tech summit Friday. Commissioner Adam Silver kicked off the event by showing some examples of how it will work and brought out San Antonio rookie and No. 1 overall draft pick Victor Wembanyama to assist.
Among the highlights: taking NBA game clips and making them seem like a Spider-Man movie.
“Today, AI is creating a similar excitement to what we saw around the early days of the internet,” Silver said. “Intuitively, most of us have a sense that artificial intelligence is going to change our lives. The question, at least for me, is ‘How?’”
Wembanyama got a sneak preview of the newest technology at a rehearsal on Thursday for the tech summit.
“It’s incredible,” Wembanyama said. “It’s still in the early days. Only the future will say what it will look like.”
SLAM DUNK CONTEST: Mac McClung’s life changed dramatically last year when he won the dunk contest on All-Star Saturday Night. And now he’s trying to do it again. McClung, who plays for the G League’s Osceola Magic, is trying to join Michael Jordan, Jason Richardson, Nate Robinson and Zach LaVine as the only back-to-back dunk contest champions.
He’ll go up against Boston’s Jaylen Brown, Miami’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. and New York’s Jacob Toppin on Saturday night.
“I think I’m more nervous this time, I think it adds a little pressure,” McClung said. “But I’m just reminding myself to have fun with it. We’ve worked really hard so hopefully it all comes to fruition.”
McClung didn’t drop many hints what he had planned for the 35,000 fans expected to attend Saturday night’s feature attraction at Lucas Oil Stadium — other than suggesting to pay attention to the replays. How has his life changed? “It’s a little different going to airports now and going (out) to eat, but mostly it’s all good things,” McClung said.
Brown is the first All-Star in the dunk contest since 2018.
“The last couple of dunk contests, there hasn’t been an All-Star or one of the top players in the league to do it,” San Antonio forward Jeremy Sochan said. “I think him doing it maybe will spark having All-Stars and the best players in the league come back and start doing the dunk contest.”
Jaquez said his decision-making process on entering the contest was simple: The NBA called and asked, and he said yes. “It was that easy,” Jaquez said. CELEBRITY GAME: Micah Parsons of the Dallas Cowboys had 37 points and 16 rebounds, leading Team Shannon to a 100-91 win over Team Stephen A in the Celebrity Game on Friday night.
Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud scored 31 points for the losing side.
CLARK FAN: If Caitlin Clark — now the NCAA all-time Division I women’s scoring leader — enters the WNBA draft this year, she’s likely headed to Indianapolis. The Indiana Fever have the No. 1 overall pick and could pair Clark with reigning rookie of the year Aliyah Boston.
Pacers wing Bennedict Mathurin wants to see it happen.
“That would be an amazing thing,” Mathurin said when asked about Clark coming to Indy. “She’s a great player. She’s unbelievable. It would be amazing for her to come to Indy.”
LUE FINED: Los Angeles Clippers coach Tyronn Lue has been fined $35,000 for publicly criticizing game officials and questioning their integrity.
The fine was related to the veteran coach’s comments to his team Wednesday night after the Clippers’ victory at Golden State. Lue got two separate technical fouls early in the fourth quarter, and he was ejected after a brief skirmish between the teams.
The Clippers rallied from a significant deficit after Lue’s ejection, roaring back to beat the Warriors 130-125. Lue was then caught on video in an apparently semi-public area near the Clippers’ locker room at Chase Center as he yelled to his players and staff: “Where the refs at now? Cheating. That’s all they be doing.”
Lue also was captured yelling: “Where James at? The referee. I want to kick him in the mouth.”
James Williams was one of the three officials working the game.
DONOR FOR POLLARD: A heart donor has been found for NBA champion and “Survivor” contestant Scot Pollard, his wife said on social media on Friday.
“It’s go time!” Dawn Pollard posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Please keep the prayers coming for Scot, the surgeons, for the donor and his family who lost their loved one. This donor gave the most amazing gift of life and we are forever grateful.”
Pollard, who turned 49 on Monday, needed a transplant because of a genetic condition that was likely triggered by a virus he caught in 2021. The same condition killed his father, who died at 54.
Pollard’s size complicated efforts to find a donor with a heart big enough to fit his 6-foot-11, 260-pound body.
He was admitted to intensive care at Vanderbilt University Medical Center on Feb. 7.