ESPN’s high-tech experiment flopped on national TV.
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.
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Instead, 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.
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Many 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.”
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Parker 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. Several fans were arrested for climbing light poles and other structures during the celebrations. (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The moving portraits were absent during Game 2 and will not return for the remainder of the NBA Finals.
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ESPN executives quietly pulled the plug on the experiment.
A network resource confirmed the graphics were created using AI tools and said management was evaluating whether to continue using the technology in future broadcasts.
Send us your thoughts: [email protected] / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela
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