ESPN Scraps AI-Generated Images from NBA Finals Coverage After Backlash

Sports network ESPN has abandoned its use of artificial intelligence-generated images in its NBA Finals coverage after facing widespread criticism online. The decision comes following the debut of these 'moving portraits' during Game 1 of the championship series between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs.

The AI-generated animations were intended to bring classic images to life, but they drew complaints from viewers who found them distorted or unrecognizable. One such image featured NBA legend Tony Parker celebrating after winning the 2003 NBA championship, but the result was met with criticism for its poor rendering of the former Spurs star's facial features.

Social media users quickly pounced on ESPN over the graphics, questioning why the network chose to use AI-generated animation when it had access to decades of NBA footage and photography. 'Why use AI when they literally have the pictures?' one fan wrote on X.

The technology was used to animate images not only of Parker but also of other NBA icons like Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell and Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant. The moving portraits were absent from Game 2, and it appears that ESPN executives have quietly pulled the plug on this experiment for the remainder of the NBA Finals.

A network resource confirmed that the graphics were created using AI tools and said management was evaluating whether to continue using the technology in future broadcasts.