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Pat McAfee Draws Great Scoop Out of Adam Silver

The NBA commissioner says the league will use AI to help refs with challenges.
Jimmy Traina|
Adam Silver told Pat McAfee that big changes are coming to the NBA’s replay challenge system.
Adam Silver told Pat McAfee that big changes are coming to the NBA’s replay challenge system. | ESPN

1. The Knicks not only did a number on the Cavaliers, but they also delivered a massive blow to ESPN.

With New York sweeping Cleveland in four games, ESPN was left with a lot of holes to fill in its television schedule.

Since there was no Game 5 on Wednesday, ESPN turned over its prime-time hours to Pat McAfee, who interviewed a slew of commissioners across sports.

McAfee got quite a scoop out of Adam Silver, who revealed that the NBA will soon turn to AI to help officials on replay reviews.

“In terms of replay,” said Silver, “we’re going to get to the point fairly quickly where, for example out of bounds … just like you’re a tennis fan and they have Hawkeye and it’s the animation … we're going to move to a system like that where that whole category of calls will be automatic.”

Silver added, “Those calls will be done by an AI-automated system with cameras lined around the court, and it'll take all of those so-called objective calls out of the hands of the referees. It'll be instantaneous, it'll be automatic. Just play on. You won’t have to deal with challenges on those calls.”

Given the ridiculous amount of time replay takes in the NBA, this appears to be nothing but a positive for fans. Get the call right and get it right quickly. You can’t ask for anything more than that.

2. A brand-new episode of SI Media With Jimmy Traina dropped today.

The show starts with Sal Licata from SNY TV and The Sal Licata Show discussing the Knicks’ playoff run, potential NBA Finals matchups and the betting odds for the NBA Finals. Next up is a conversation about Netflix’s new Martin Short documentary and the passing of Rob Base.

After that is a lengthy mailbag segment where I answer questions from listeners. Among the topics people asked about: Can the NYPD handle the MSG crowd if the Knicks win the NBA title; Which broadcast booth would we like to hear call one more game; What question do people want the media to ask Mike Vrabel; best and worst streaming services; Danhausen; book and television show recommendations; movies that get multiple viewings; encores at concerts and much more.

3. If you’re a Knicks fan, you’re going to want to follow this guy on Instagram or on TikTok.

@lukewnnermusic has been recapping every New York playoff win with the help of classic Billy Joel songs.

4. Rays pitcher Jonathan Heasley, making his first appearance with the team on Wednesday, was so nervous that he vomited on the mound, which made for some amusing commentary from the booth.

5. Wednesday night’s Reds telecast went off the rails when sideline reporter Jim Day tried a chili egg roll during Cincy’s game against the Mets. I had sympathy for Day until he took the second bite. There was just no need for that.

6. This is so bush league by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. If you’re gonna be a flopper, you should deal with the ramifications. Instead, he’s threatening to sue a wagering company.

7. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: This video has gone super viral over the past 24 hours. If you haven’t seen it yet, you’re in for a treat.

Be sure to catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts and check out the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast hosted by Jimmy Traina on Apple, Spotify or Google. You can also follow Jimmy on X and Instagram.

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Jimmy Traina
JIMMY TRAINA

Jimmy Traina is a staff writer and podcast host for Sports Illustrated. A 20-year veteran in the industry, he’s been covering the sports media landscape for seven years and writes a daily column, Traina Thoughts. Traina has hosted the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast since 2018, a show known for interviews with some of the most important and powerful people in sports media. He also was the creator and writer of SI’s Hot Clicks feature from 2007 to '13.

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