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    A Lakers-Celtics Battle Can Turn Into a ‘Hoosiers’ Film

    • The NBA unveils new A.I. that brings movie themes into games.
    • A demo mixed a Pacers game with a Spider-Man flick.
    By
    Feb 16, 2024 | 02:23 pm
    UPDATED Feb 16, 2024 | 10:33 pm
    NBA A.I. All Star Game Lakers Celtics
    David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

    The NBA may need to create an account on IMDb. 

    In a Friday morning presentation at the NBA All-Star Tech Summit in Indianapolis, commissioner Adam Silver and Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama unveiled a new artificial intelligence system that features a voice activating “movie mode,” which mixed a regular game and a Spider-Man film to create a brand-new viewing experience. 

    It’s the second consecutive year Silver has flexed the league’s tech arm at All-Star weekend. In 2023, Silver debuted a streaming edition of the NBA app in which fans can scan themselves into the game. 

    The presentation started with Wembanyama, a Frenchman, claiming the movie Hoosiers as his country’s own instead of America’s and—more important—Indiana’s. But the new A.I. is another chance for the NBA to expand its audience, this time to moviegoers, in addition to basketball fans. By including options such as Spider-Man, the NBA is courting viewers of some of history’s most profitable movies, in addition to one of the biggest brands for toys, video games, and merchandise. 

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