NBA star Tristan Thompson has launched TracyAI, an artificial intelligence platform that provides real-time NBA analysis and predictive insights using professional-level data typically unavailable to the public. The venture positions Thompson as an early mover in applying AI to sports analytics, targeting what he sees as an underserved market within the rapidly growing AI industry projected to reach $3.6 trillion by 2034.
What you should know: TracyAI differentiates itself by accessing professional team-level analytics that aren’t available through traditional sports media channels.
• “Imagine a sports analyst or commentator on steroids,” Thompson explained. “What I mean by that is having all the high-level analytics that you cannot get from NBA.com and ESPN … the analytics are coming from the professional teams.”
• The platform leverages Thompson’s NBA connections to access data and companies that “only professional sports teams have access to.”
Why this matters: Thompson identified sports as an untapped opportunity for AI implementation, describing it as “low-hanging fruit” in an otherwise saturated AI market.
• When asked to choose between investing in AI or blockchain, Thompson chose AI, citing Mark Zuckerberg’s significant investments in “AI gurus” as validation of the sector’s potential.
• The basketball veteran sees himself as “a visionary and a pioneer” in bringing AI to sports analytics.
The bigger picture: Professional sports teams are already using AI for strategic decisions, suggesting broader adoption across the industry.
• Thompson referenced Philadelphia 76ers general manager Daryl Morey, who “used AI agents to curate his Sixers roster,” calling it “the first domino effect into something great.”
• Despite acknowledging AI’s controversies, Thompson is ready to invest financial resources to capitalize on the industry’s projected rapid growth.
Thompson’s approach: The former NBA champion, who won a title with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, is applying his “grind, build-up mentality” from basketball to entrepreneurship.
• “For me, it’s like, if [AI is] covering so many sectors, how come it hasn’t got into sports?” Thompson said during Yahoo Finance’s Financial Freestyle podcast.
• His basketball career included stints with teams like the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, giving him extensive industry connections.
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