Adam Silver made his announcement on the Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday. The NBA is moving toward an AI-automated camera system to handle objective calls, such as out-of-bounds rulings. The commissioner mentioned that the rulings will be instantaneous and compared it to the Hawkeye technology in tennis, too.
But a former NBA champion and prominent voice from the basketball community has openly delivered his problem with the new approach.
Kendrick Perkins Disagrees With Adam Silver’s New Approach
“Listen, y’all know how I feel about Adam Silver,” Perkins said. “I love him, but I totally disagree with him on this one. Hell no, hell no. There’s no AI technology, none of that stuff going on. No, no, no, no, no, no. This needs to be evaluated by real officials in real time. We can’t trust these AI systems when it comes down to getting these calls right.”
“I totally disagree with him on this one. Hell no.” — @KendrickPerkins
“You just have to adapt. It’s the way of the world. Evolution is part of the process.” —@stephenasmith
Reacting to Adam Silver saying the NBA is increasing the use of AI technology to aid officials 👀 pic.twitter.com/vTvTHpVknh
— First Take (@FirstTake) May 28, 2026
Perkins went further and offered an alternative to the commissioner’s idea. “I totally disagree with this. We cannot bring AI into this. I am completely against it. You have to, if you want to do anything, add another official to the game, especially in the postseason. I know we already got three, but if you want to add a fourth, damn it, do that.”
“Put another set of real eyes on the game and have one just solely focusing on one little thing and being whatever it got to be, but none of that AI stuff,” Perkins reiterated.
In Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals, Victor Wembanyama dribbled the ball off Chet Holmgren’s foot. Spurs HC Mitch Johnson walked directly in front of an official to call for a challenge, but was denied. Johnson was hit with a technical foul when he tried to push further.
Silver’s plan specifically targets what he called objective calls. Out-of-bounds rulings. Last-touch possession decisions. Outcomes that cameras are better equipped to handle than a human referee standing 30 feet away.
He also acknowledged the flopping issue head-on, noting that players are increasingly taught to sell contact and that there is a meaningful distinction between selling a call and a genuine flop. “Officials can be fooled sometimes,” Silver said, “but our officiating is incredible.”
Perkins believes the solution doesn’t lie in integrating AI or any other technology into the NBA. He strongly suggests that the solution to the problem is to add another referee to the game. It is an interesting debate between Perkins and the commissioner.
Every sports league in the world has always integrated new technology in one way or another. And some may feel that it’s about time the NBA did the same. But only time will tell whether this decision from the league will prove effective or the biggest mistake yet.
