The Worldwide Leader in Sports has decided to bench its controversial AI-generated "moving portraits," which debuted during the NBA Finals and quickly drew backlash online.The digital misfire tipped off during Game 1 of the championship series between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs.As ABC headed to a commercial break, viewers were shown what was intended to be an animated version of a classic image featuring Spurs legend Tony Parker.ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE GLITCH AT ARIZONA COLLEGE GRADUATION SPARKS UPROAR FROM CROWDInstead, many fans saw what they described as an uncanny-valley nightmare.NBA legend Tony Parker attends a game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas, on March 16, 2022.(Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images)The network used AI to animate a photo of Parker celebrating after winning the 2003 NBA championship.But the result drew criticism online, with viewers saying the technology distorted the former Spurs star's facial features.Social media users quickly piled on ESPN over the graphic.CHICAGO PAPER PUBLISHES AI-GENERATED 'SUMMER READING LIST' WITH BOOKS THAT DON'T EXISTMany questioned why the network, which has access to decades of NBA footage and photography, chose to use AI-generated animation at all."Why use AI when they literally have the pictures?" one fan wrote on X.Another posted: "As soon as I saw this last night I was like is that supposed to be Tony Parker bc who the f--- is that guy."AI-GENERATED VOICE OF FORMER NARRATOR JIM FAGAN TO BE FEATURED NEXT NBA SEASON, NBC SPORTS SAYSParker wasn't the only NBA icon to receive the AI treatment.ESPN also used the technology to animate images of Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell and Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant.Thousands of New York Knicks fans gather inside and outside Madison Square Garden and celebrate across New York City after the Knicks' NBA Finals Game 2 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on June 5, 2026.
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