Stephen Curry’s new shooting partner is a robot that never gets tired

WTF?! When the NBA’s best take the hardwood in Salt Lake City for this year’s All-Star festivities, they’ll have some AI-powered reinforcements on the sidelines. Commissioner Adam Silver has unveiled three new robots set to be integrated into team operations – one of which can catch shots and pass them back to the player, no matter their position on the court.

Silver introduced these innovations in a sneak peek at the 2025 NBA All-Star Technology Summit. The three bots are already being used by the Golden State Warriors for practices and training sessions, with Silver even calling them the “latest NBA All-Stars.”

The first robot, dubbed A.B.E. (Automated Basketball Engine), has been Stephen Curry’s new shooting partner. This machine can chase down baskets and zip passes back to the player, allowing him to get up hundreds of reps. It tracks the position of the player, too, so that he can focus on nothing but scoring hoops.

Adam Silver and Golden State Warriors Bring Physical AI to the NBA at 2025 NBA All-Star Technology Summit. pic.twitter.com/4z5lXOc9QO

– NBA (@NBA) February 14, 2025

Curry described the experience as “weird” at first, but admitted that because the robots don’t need breaks or water, they just push you to “go harder.”

For head coach Steve Kerr, a squad of towering M.I.M.I.C. (Motion & Intercept Modular-Interface Coordination) robots has been running dummy offense and defense in practice. Kerr treats the robots just like human players – so much so that he’s even been heard yelling at them to “get the f**k out” when he wants to rerun a play from a different angle.

According to the NBA, these robots can track micro-movements, simulate game-like pressure, and provide real-time feedback faster than any coach or trainer. The league worked closely with players and coaches to ensure the technology meets their needs.

“This is about bridging engineering and human performance,” an NBA representative quipped in a clip shared on X.

The third robot, K.I.T. (Kinematic Interface Tool), has been tasked with an even more important job – keeping Draymond Green’s spirits up. These robots are designed to roll around in the locker room and are therefore smaller than the M.I.M.I.C., despite looking similar. They’re already entertaining players with movies and delivering motivational pep talks during grueling workouts.

It’s a fascinating glimpse into the future of practical AI in professional sports. Just 25 years ago, the focus was on expanding internet access for training. Now, Curry and the Warriors have robot sidekicks they say are already proving invaluable.