Have you ever wanted to see yourself crushed like LeBron?
The NBA app may soon make that a reality. A new feature coming to the app allows users to virtually substitute for a player during a live NBA game. Users would scan themselves to create their own avatar which overlays a real player in real time.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver unveiled the app’s new streaming experience at the NBA All-Star Tech Summit in Salt Lake City on Friday.
In an onstage demonstration, Silver scanned the body of sportscaster Ahmad Rashad and pasted it onto that of the Utah Jazz’ Talen Horton-Tucker.
“You’ll do all the same movements as he does, but it will feel like it’s your body,” Silver told Rashad.
Avatar Rashad is then seen running down the field in a pair of casual pants to complete a dunk in place of Horton-Tucker.
According to app company Polycamthe NBA feature uses Polycam’s LiDAR (short for “Light Detection and Ranging”) technology to capture a 3D image of a person to generate the avatar.
The NBA has yet to provide a release date for the feature.
The in-app telecast also promises to deliver a number of other new features, including multiple languages, celebrity commentary, the ability to move play to virtual locations, and integrated betting.
In the future, maybe that means you can bet on yourself win an NBA game.
