NBA-League to Use AI for Objective Calls, Silver Says
- NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced on Wednesday that the league will implement an AI-driven automated replay system to handle objective calls such as out-of-bounds decisions, speeding up games and reducing dispute delays.
- Following Tuesday's Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals, the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the San Antonio Spurs 127-114, with officials calling 29 fouls on the Spurs amid criticism over calls favoring Thunder MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
- Spurs rookie Dylan Harper received an incorrect shooting foul despite contact from Thunder player Jared McCain, while coach Mitch Johnson failed to challenge a pivotal out-of-bounds call during the contested game.
- Silver defended the quality of officiating, stating "the officiating is incredible," while noting that referees remain essential for interpreting complex physical contact that cannot be assessed on camera.
- The league aims to adopt technology similar to Hawk-Eye to reduce delays from lengthy referee reviews, following the lead of Major League Baseball and the National Football League, which already use automated replay systems.
33 Articles
33 Articles
NBA Commissioner Announces Plans to Let AI Take Over for Lazy Referees
Anyone who’s sat through this year’s NBA playoffs has probably noticed: the basketball league has a big problem with its referees. There’s the poor flopping management for starters, where players try to exaggerate or fabricate physical contact with opposing teams in order to draw penalty calls. Flopping has become something of an epidemic over the 2026 playoffs, with certain suspects flailing to the floor on one in every ten field goal attempts.…
Adam Silver Discusses Flopping and How NBA Officials Can Use AI
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver defended his drastic lottery reform “3-2-1” proposal, which is anticipated to be adopted by NBA owners on Thursday, on ESPN’s Pat McAfee show. But in the process, he became involved in the yearly discussion about refereeing in the NBA playoffs, which this year has centered on “flopping” and players who draw a lot of fouls and contact, especially on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Thunder. “Flopping has been a convers…
NBA To Use AI Referees For Key Calls As Adam Silver Reveals Major Shake-Up
The NBA is preparing for a major change in how games are officiated after commissioner Adam Silver revealed that artificial intelligence will soon be used to make certain calls automatically. Speaking on ESPN's 'The Pat McAfee Show' on Wednesday, Silver explained that the league plans to introduce an AI-driven system for objective decisions such as out-of-bounds calls. The move is aimed at speeding up games and cutting down on disputes over poss…
League to use AI for objective calls, Silver says
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said the league will use AI to automate a category of calls such as out-of-bounds decisions to speed up games and reduce disputes over possession. Silver compared the system to Hawk-Eye technology used in tennis, where electronic line-calling quickly determines whether a ball has landed in or out. “We’re going to move to a system like that where that whole category of calls will be automatic,” Silver said on ESPN’s t…
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