AI is now “playing” Basketball

Basketball will enter a new era: artificial intelligence will measure shot difficulty, defensive impact, and the hidden influence of every play.

AI is now “playing" Basketball

Some plays in basketball are visible to the eye but invisible to traditional stats. Starting this season, the NBA will capture the unseen: the defensive pressure that forces a miss, the gravitational pull of a superstar who creates space, and the true difficulty of a shot attempt. This revolution comes through a landmark multi-year partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS), which will become the official cloud and AI partner of the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, NBA 2K League, and the Basketball Africa League (BAL).

The centerpiece of the partnership is NBA Inside the Game powered by AWS, a next-generation platform that will process billions of data points in real time. Fans will no longer just see who scored, but how tough the shot really was, how the defense altered it, and how star players shaped the play without even touching the ball. These insights will be available live on the NBA App, NBA.com, and broadcasts worldwide, bringing a new layer of intelligence and interactivity to the game.

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The impact extends far beyond the United States. By integrating the Basketball Africa League (BAL) into its ecosystem, the NBA is opening a new horizon for African basketball. Coaches, teams, and players across the continent will gain access to cutting-edge analytics, while fans will enjoy localized content, multilingual coverage, and personalized experiences that bring elite basketball closer to African courts.

This marks a major boost for Africa’s growing basketball ecosystem, giving the BAL the same advanced tools that power the NBA, helping raise competitiveness and global visibility. The partnership also strengthens ties with Prime Video, which will stream 66 NBA games per season under an 11-year deal, featuring interactive features designed to transform fan engagement. From New York to Dakar, the message is clear: basketball will no longer be played only on the hardwood — it will also be played in the cloud.

With AWS as its engine, the NBA is building a future where artificial intelligence, data, and passion for the game converge — expanding basketball’s global reach and making Africa a key player in the sport’s digital evolution.

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