The NBA’s All-Star Weekend is here and commissioner Adam Silver kicked things off on Friday with a virtual discussion featuring some of the most notable people working with the league regarding its future. As part of the discussion, President Barack Obama was there to discuss NBA Africa and the importance of investing in the continent.
President Barack Obama discusses basketball’s promising future in Africa pic.twitter.com/r3bGWAgf9c
— NBA (@NBA) February 18, 2022
Everything seems pretty normal for a PR event until you look over in the top right and notice Coach Nat, a digital character who exists in the metaverse, whatever that actually is.
Things took a turn for the extremely cringe and awkward when Silver asked Coach Nat to join him on the stage to “demonstrate to everyone what you’re able to do at these clinics.” Coach Nat then “walked” onto the stage and started talking with Shaquille O’Neal’s voice about his role in training young basketball players.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver unveils coach of the future – Coach Nat – in the metaverse pic.twitter.com/I3OwKckqU9
— NBA (@NBA) February 18, 2022
We’re not sure what’s the cringiest part. Silver’s emotionless “holy cow” delivery, the lack of any notable response to Nat, or the weird Superman thing at the end has nothing to do with anything. Perhaps it’s everything altogether that makes it so weird and deeply unsettling.
Whatever it is, NBA folks on Twitter were feeling pretty weird after witnessing…whatever that was.
It's Dark and Hell is Hot https://t.co/o742JJKy6f
— Patrick Daugherty (@RotoPat) February 18, 2022
one reason I think I could never be a sports commissioner is that I'd find being involved in this so embarrassing I'd have to leave public life forever. https://t.co/52UB76XvNT
— Marchioness of Craigmondeley (@cdgoldstein) February 18, 2022
What’s cool about the metaverse is:
[this space has been intentionally left blank] https://t.co/qkuZ6ebD63— David Gardner (@byDavidGardner) February 18, 2022
I think it's probably a weakness of the metaverse that there's no obvious way that this seems at all useful https://t.co/QdFHanmQta
— jason concepcion (@netw3rk) February 18, 2022
What is happening https://t.co/2TYlZtkBAX
— Zach Harper (@talkhoops) February 18, 2022
https://twitter.com/ThomasNassiff/status/1494729784307458053
I would like to offer my services to the NBA, for a mere $575,000 per annum, as The Person Who Points Out When Things Are Stupid. These services would be rendered before things like this were permitted to happen. https://t.co/c03vtstY9o
— David Roth (@david_j_roth) February 18, 2022
As many have pointed out, we’re not really sure what to do with this and why anyone would think this is impressive or useful, but, what else is new with anything metaverse?
[NBA]
