Worldwide Sports News

Angela Pennyfeather, born and raised in Bed Stuy, has been going to Brooklyn Nets’ home openers for just about as long as the Nets have played in Brooklyn. But this year was different.

For the 2026-27 Nets’ season, the Barclays Center debuted a revolutionary AI-enhanced replay system that gives fans something totally new: a near-perfect 3D-recreation of the on-court action.

The tech was on display throughout the game to highlight dunks, blocks and steals. Replays were broadcast on the jumbotron and published across the team’s social-media channels. 

“It was pretty phenomenal,” Pennyfeather said. “We’ve never seen anything like it.”

Even her teenage son was impressed — “and he’s always trying to keep it cool,” she said. 

In the not-so-distant future, AI-powered replay systems will allow fans anywhere in the world to interact with the game from perspectives never before possible — say, directly under the hoop at a basketball game, or from inside the batter’s box at a baseball game — and edit their own replay packages. 

“One of our big goals is building the next generation of Brooklyn Nets fans,” Keia Cole, Chief Digital Officer of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment (BSE), the parent company that owns the Nets, told The Post. “This is a tool built to wow them.”

The Nets’ 360-degree replay system was created by a set of 64 cameras placed all around the arena near the suite level. Each records the game from its unique angle, then sends its data to the cloud, where an AI-model built by Alibaba sews the footage together. Nets owner Joe Tsai is the cofounder and chairman of Alibaba Group.

The process takes only 15 to 20 seconds.

And the final product — “it’s kind of like art,” Pennyfeather said. 

The Alibaba Group has shown off the technology before, including at the Milan-Cortina Olympics with set-ups around 17 sports.

“[Basketball] games move so quickly, it’s hard to understand the mechanics and the complexity of a move,” said Cole. “This is a nuanced way to slow down the game.” 

As of now, you can only see the 360-degree replay system on the arena’s jumbotron or via the Nets social-media channels, but a Toronto-based startup is working to bring similar views to every screen in America.

Peripheral was founded in 2024 by Kelvin Cui and Mustafa Khan, then 21 and 22 years old. The following year, their company was selected to be a part of the NBA’s incubator program, Launchpad. 

Their work in the incubator culminated in Las Vegas at the 2026 Summer League, where Peripheral unveiled their product to league executives.

“We were able to show off our full videos for the first time. The Raptors [shared] some clips that went viral on X, fans really liked it, and the NBA invested,” Cui said. “So, yeah, it was sick.”

Peripheral’s technology works largely the same way as Alibaba’s — but Peripheral’s model will allow viewers more freedom. With an Xbox controller, the operator can ‘fly’ to any point on the court or around the arena to see what a play looks like from that point of view. They can even lock into an individual player and replay the game from their perspective. 

Peripheral’s cameras capture not just the volumetric data of how the game is unfolding, but also biomechanical data of how players are moving — down to individual finger joints. 

Cui, who previously worked on self-driving cars at Tesla, sees applications well beyond broadcasts. Teams could use the technology to better understand their players’ physical tendencies and develop protocols to prevent injuries. Coaches could use it to show their team how a play unfolded from the other side of the court. The league could use it to help with officiating. 

“The goal is to have all of these applications out this season,” Cui said. 

And the technology is only getting better. Less than a year ago, Peripheral was working with a 32 camera set-up, but that number is now down to just 18. The AI-model is trained on real games, and the more it records, the faster, cleaner and more efficient it becomes. 

Peripheral is currently working with multiple NBA teams on permanent installations, though the company can’t yet say which ones. In the future, the company wants to get the controllers into fans’ hands so they can watch their favorite team in a video game-like environment.

“There’s a lot of creative opportunities here for people who are producing the game for [television] or on the jumbotron,” Cui said. “[But also], this is how we get younger audiences back into live sports — give them an interactive experience closer to what they’re used to in 2K.”

Big game coming up tonight Dub Nation, as the Minnesota Timberwolves welcome the Golden State Warriors to Minneapolis. The Warriors started off 0-3 for the season before punching the Denver Nuggets in the mouth for their first win. Their reward is a flight to Minnesota to see a revamped Wolves team that added LaMelo Ball and GSW’s former #7 overall pick Jonathan Kuminga.

Jonathan Kuminga’s road from the Bay to Target Center played out like a slow, grinding breakup we all watched live together. The 2021 lottery pick won a ring as a rookie. In 2025, he took a two-year, $46.8 million deal over a three-year, $75 million framework the Warriors put on the table. He got shipped to Atlanta for Kristaps Porziņģis at last February’s deadline, and the Hawks declined his option in June. Minnesota landed him on a two-year deal worth about $13 million, roughly half of what one year of that Warriors framework would’ve paid.

Golden State Warriors at Minnesota Timberwolves
When: Wednesday, October 28, 2026 | 5:00 PM PT
Where: Target Center, Minneapolis
TV: NBC Sports Bay Area
Radio: 95.7 The Game

Warriors Injuries:

Moses Moody: Out (Knee),

Jimmy Butler III: Out (Knee),

Kristaps Porzingis: Out (Illness),

Yaxel Lendeborg: Questionable (Foot)

Timberwolves Injuries:

Donte DiVincenzo: Out (Achilles),

Anthony Edwards: Out (Knee)

Four games in, Kuminga looks more like the guy Steve Kerr spent five years asking for. Kuminga is averaging 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds, he’s shooting 47% from three, and Chris Finch keeps praising him for guarding, hustling, and letting the offense come to him. Warriors assistant Kris Weems told the Chronicle he used to preach doing the dirty work first, and that JK’s response back then boiled down to “Just give me the ball, man.”

Well, Minnesota is about to give him the ball. Anthony Edwards dropped 47 on Cleveland Monday in an overtime loss. On Tuesday, news broke that he needs an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee that could keep him out up to two months. Ant was averaging 33.3 points a night. LaMelo Ball will get first crack at a lot of those possessions. Still, some of those shots are going to land with the most motivated man in the building, who’s wearing a Wolves jersey against the team that drafted him.

The Warriors finally showed up for the season Monday in Denver with a 134-114 beatdown. Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg led the way with 31 points and 12 rebounds, and Steph went a perfect 8-of-8 for 24.

Lendeborg is where this matchup gets delicious. He’s a month older than Kuminga, and he logged 37 minutes in his second NBA game, something JK didn’t do until his second season. The kid got the runway Kuminga always wanted. He’s also questionable with a sore left foot, which would be a cruel twist on a night JK will likely spend some possessions guarding him.

Then there’s the Porziņģis heath situation. He’s the return for the Kuminga trade but is out with an illness, joining Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody on the sideline.

Don’t pop the champagne over Ant’s absence, either. Minnesota went 12-9 without Edwards last season. They still have Ball, Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels. This is also the franchise that ended the Warriors’ 2025 run in the second round, a series where Kuminga had one of his best scoring stretches in blue and gold.

Draymond is healthy and available. At some point Wednesday night, JK is going to catch it on the wing with the ball finally his and Draymond squared up in front of him, and Dub Nation’s five years of arguments are going to come down to one possession.

The Indiana Pacers could be without star Tyrese Haliburton again and the NBA might have lost another star player to an injury.

The 26-year-old Haliburton is listed as questionable with "left hamstring tightness/soreness" on the team's latest injury report and Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said that Haliburton will meet with an outside specialist before Indiana hosts the Philadelphia 76ers on Oct. 28.

Haliburton had only just made an emotional return after missing the entire 2025-26 season while recovering from a torn Achilles suffered in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. He played in the Pacers' first four games of the regular season this month, including a back-to-back on Oct. 25-26, and nearly averaged a double-double (21.8 points, 9.5 assists).

Here's the latest on Haliburton's injury situation and how it could affect the Pacers season:

Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg talked trash to Luka Doncic unrelentingly on Opening Night.

Lendeborg has the chance to do it again Friday night when the Warriors and Lakers square off for their second meeting of the season.

There’s been much discourse surrounding the rookie’s chatter toward Doncic, but Hall of Famer Charles Barkley said he doesn’t have a problem with Lendeborg chirping at the Lakers superstar.

“I think rookies get excited to play against great players and I have no problem with that. When you’re a great player, you’re everybody’s big game. Those kids grew up watching you, so it’s a big deal,” Barkley said.

While the trash talk by Lendeborg was Barkley approved, the former NBA player turned analyst wasn’t a fan of the 24-year-old’s comments after the game.

“I don’t have any problem with him coming for Luka. I didn’t like the stuff after the game because number one when you get your ass kicked by 30 you probably should shut the hell up,” Barkley said.

Lendeborg admitted he probably went overboard with his comments after the Opening Night loss.

“I feel like I did kinda take it overboard in the media, but it is what it is,” he said.

However, fans will see whether the Warriors rookie took the learning lesson to heart. Lendeborg continuing the trash talk on the court with Doncic seems likely, but if Golden State loses, will he comment on the Lakers superstar afterward?

Ernie Johnson is making a significant career move.

The star sportscaster for TNT Sports announced Wednesday that he will be hosting “Inside the NBA” for the final time during the 2026-27 season in what is a decision made completely on his own.

It will be his 37th year hosting the show and he will sit beside Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, and Shaquille O’Neal for one final run.

Johnson noted a “contributing factor” to his decision, which is that he has dealt with heart issues over the past two years, which included bypass surgery 14 months ago.

“Still trying to get this thing to beat in exactly the way it should, and we are getting there,” Johnson said in a video posted to X. “I feel great. So, this isn’t a case where my doctor said ‘You need to stop working.’ It’s nothing like that, but here’s the deal. Going through that has made me treasure even more every second with my amazing wife of 44 years Cheryl and being Poppi to our five grandchildren.

“So, I just want to slow down a bit and spend more time enjoying that.”

Johnson, 70, added he is “not retiring” but rather “cutting back.”

He will still be a part of March Madness among other projects for TNT and CBS. Johnson also said he started a production company, 32 Bowties, that will highlight feel-good stories in sports.

“This is by no means the end. It’s just a turning of the page,” he said.

One of his favorite parts of the job has always been the hours logged in preparation for the night ahead throughout his career. He said that has now become “more of challenge than it is a joy,” and was an indicator to step away.

Johnson had a fun conclusion to last season, hosting the Knicks’ championship ceremony after their Game 5 win over the Spurs in San Antontio in June. He also interviewed the NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson on “Inside the NBA” following the champagne celebrations.

“It’s just time,” Johnson said. “It’s been an honor to share so many nights, decades actually at the desk with my brothers — Kenny, Charles and Shaq — and with our production crews who are so talented and devoted. I so appreciate the leadership at TNT and ESPN for allowing the show to continue.”

Midway through the fourth quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers’ 136-129 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers Tuesday night, three flopping technicals were doled out in a 90-second span. The first culprit was Toumani Camara while he guarded Luka Dončić on an inbounds play. Then, Ja Morant ricocheted off of Austin Reaves as he recovered around a screen. Thirteen seconds later, Ziaire Williams wobbled in retreat after forcing Deni Avdija away from his preferred right hand and received a forearm to the sternum.

Among the three infractions, Williams certainly has the clearest case for frustration. Avdija absolutely pushes him and is already a much stronger player than Williams. Williams flailing his arms doesn’t do him any favors in the officials’ eyes. But that’s much more about him trying to stay upright and on his feet rather than convincing anyone of an offensive foul and he immediately darts right back into the play to defend Avdija.

After the game, Williams took exception to the tech and explained his perspective.

“I mean, if the dude was pushing off me, my body is naturally going to waver back,” Williams told reporters. “I don’t know. I didn’t think I flopped. I don’t know, man. I don’t know.”

On Monday, Williams received a $2,000 flopping fine for a similar play to Tuesday’s event. Against the Utah Jazz on Sunday, he cut off a Keyonte George drive and took a forearm to the hip, which sent him stumbling backward. That time, George was called for an offensive foul but Williams “was assessed a postgame Flopping fine of $2,000 upon league office review.”

Williams maintains he is not flopping, and it’s hard to really contend otherwise. He’s a pretty slight-of-frame defender moving backward against players extending their arms into him. He does not want to fall over and miss out on the play, so he uses his arms to keep on his feet. That’s simple physics.

“They’ve just been calling it. I haven’t heard anything from anyone,” Williams said. “Like I said, I don’t think I’m flopping. If I was flopping, I’d be on the floor. But it is what it is. Nothing I can do about it now.”

Despite the recent, frustrating flopping incidents, Williams is off to an excellent start with the Lakers. Through four games, he’s averaging 11.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.5 steals while shooting 69.2% on 2-pointers and 46.7% beyond the arc. He’ll look to continue his rhythm and avoid any harsh flopping calls Wednesday night as the Lakers take on the Clippers at 7:30 p.m.

You can follow Jackson on Twitter at @jackfrank_jjf.

The Lakers have aspirations of becoming a championship-level team.

The first week of the season showed that they already have the recipe to be an elite offensive team.

But it also proved that they have plenty of progress to make before their defense is at a championshiop level, too.

The Lakers’ defensive struggles led to their first loss of the season on Tuesday night, a 136-129 defeat to the Trail Blazers at Crypto.com Arena.

“We have to be able to rely on our defense every night,” coach JJ Redick said. “And if we score 129 points at home, we should be able to get enough stops to win.” 

The Lakers’ defensive struggles were all over the court, even though Walker Kessler took responsibility for not leading the team on that end of the floor like he’s expected to.

Their ball containment was subpar, leading to breakdowns around the perimeter. 

The Blazers’ shotmaking was elite, which wasn’t surprising considering the talent on their roster.

But the Lakers weren’t disciplined enough with their defensive game plan execution.

“I don’t think there [were] any adjustment that [had] to be made,” Austin Reaves said. “It was more so us not doing what we were supposed to. We got to talk more on the defensive end and just be sharper in our base coverages.”

The Lakers’ defensive struggles weren’t limited to Tuesday – which is why they went from being ranked No. 19 in defensive rating to No. 22 after the loss.

The Trail Blazers just made the Lakers pay more than any other team was capable of during the season’s first week. 

The loss to the Trail Blazers was the third straight game the Lakers allowed their opponent to score at least 117 points.

“We’ve been relying on our offense a lot,” Kessler said. “And we have a very, very good offense and a lot of great scorers. But that’s not gonna be the only thing that gets us to win a championship here. So it’s a good reminder. We’ll learn a lot from it.”

The Lakers didn’t have to wait long to use the lessons from Tuesday against another opponent.

The loss to the Trail Blazers was the first night of a back-to-back set, with the Lakers playing the Clippers for the second time this season on Wednesday, but this time at Intuit Dome.

“Coach pointed it out and now it’s up to us to respond,” Sandro Mamukelashvili said. “Everybody will watch [the] film, I’m sure. Everybody is going to see what mistakes they had. We all have great player development coaches who are going to work with us, make sure we kind of fix the mistakes we made. 

“We got to be better and we will. I’ll be better. I got to communicate more, be more physical. Just got to play hard.”