NBA moving toward AI-automated officiating system to eliminate replay delays, Adam Silver says

The NBA’s primetime merchandise has go progressively difficult to watch, and Commissioner Adam Silver is yet waking up to nan issue.

During an quality connected "The Pat McAfee Show" connected Wednesday, Silver confirmed nan convention is moving toward automation successful its officiating, peculiarly for nonsubjective replay calls that routinely slow games to a crawl during nan playoffs.

Or arsenic we each cognize it: flopping.

"I deliberation successful position of replay, we’re going to get to nan constituent reasonably quickly where, for example, connected out-of-bounds plays … those kinds of calls will go automatic," Silver told McAfee.

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"We’re going to move to a strategy for illustration that wherever that full class of calls will beryllium automated," Silver explained.

"Those calls will beryllium handled by an AI automated strategy pinch cameras lined astir nan court. It’ll beryllium instantaneous and automatic."

Silver hopes automation will destruct replay delays.

Additionally, fans person been progressively disappointment pinch foul baiting, and flopping continues to show up connected nan hardwood during nan Western Conference playoffs, specifically.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver speaks during a property convention astatine nan 2026 NBA All-Star Weekend astatine Intuit Dome successful Inglewood, Calif., connected Feb. 14, 2026. (Ryan Sirius Sun/Getty Images)

At nan halfway of overmuch of that disapproval is Oklahoma City Thunder prima Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

SGA’s playoff tally has highlighted nan NBA’s increasing embellishment problem, wherever astir drives look to characteristic exaggerated caput snaps aliases flailing arms.

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Silver besides acknowledged nan vexation astir foul baiting.

"I would only opportunity there’s a quality betwixt trading a call, exaggeration, and a existent flop," Silver said.

"If they’re not fooling nan referees, it’s much for illustration players being taught to waste calls these days."

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of nan Oklahoma City Thunder watches during nan 4th fourth of Game Five against nan San Antonio Spurs successful nan NBA Western Conference Finals astatine Paycom Center successful Oklahoma City connected May 26, 2026. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

"Because there’s often interaction connected each play," Silver noted.

"That doesn’t needfully mean there’s a foul."

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"I deliberation exertion is really going to beryllium adjuvant here," he added.

For years, nan NBA has tilted officiating rules toward violative players.

Carrying violations are hardly enforced, moving screens hap successful plain show and defenders often get punished for breathing successful nan aforesaid zip codification arsenic nan ballhandler.

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NBA Commissioner Adam Silver speaks to media aft nan 75th NBA All-Star Game astatine Intuit Dome connected Feb. 15, 2026. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)

Silver’s comments made it beautiful evident nan NBA is looking for exertion to cleanable up immoderate of nan chaos that has taken complete its playoff product.

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