Lakers forward LeBron James will play in a record 20th NBA All-Star Game on Sunday. (Kyle Terada / Associated Press)
Friday morning before gray skies opened up and pounded downtown Indianapolis with wet snow, NBA commissioner Adam Silver stood on stage with the NBA’s next big star, Victor Wembanyama.
The two went through a rehearsed skit as the league unveiled NB-AI, an artificial intelligence application that could turn an NBA game into a Marvel movie with voice command.
It was the clip from the NBA’s annual tech summit that went viral, the kind of innovation from the future that is good for clicks even if it lacks any real practical use.
Later in the tech summit, in the last session of the day, a panel of players and medical professionals discussed the relationship between technology and preventative medical care.
In some ways, it’s the story of the weekend.
Read more: NBA All-Star weekend: What time is the game? What’s new?
Sunday, LeBron James will play in his 20th All-Star Game, an NBA record. In the week leading up to the game, rumors about his potential free agency in the summer sparked tons of conversations not only because James is the NBA’s most recognizable star. It mattered because he’s still one of the league’s best players.
James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant all will play on the West team, with a combined 44 All-Star appearances and avatars for the medical advancements that are sure to extend player primes for the generation who played Friday in the Rising Stars tournament.
“I think basketball is all about what you can give to the game. And then once you’re done, it’s time to hang up the shoes,” Miami Heat rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. said. “I don’t know when that’s going to be for me, but you see Steph, LeBron, KD, those guys have so much more to show to the game and they show it every single night. They’re all at the top of their games, even at this late stage in their careers. It’s incredible and inspiring to see.”
In his 20th All-Star weekend, James stands alone. Seven of the Rising Stars participants were born after James’ NBA debut, including Utah Jazz rookie Keyonte George.
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