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Despite Showing Massive Concern over AI, Shaquille O’Neal Shines Light on Elderly Versions of Kobe Bryant and LeBron James through Artificial Intelligence

Satagni Sikder
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Despite Showing Massive Concern over AI, Shaquille O'Neal Shines Light on Elderly Versions of Kobe Bryant and LeBron James Through Artificial Intelligence

Shaquille O’Neal is usually very welcoming of new innovations and technological advancements. But he has been compelled to rethink his keenness on adopting the rapidly changing technological landscape after his endorsement of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX backfired on him. Shaq has also expressed his concern over the massive AI takeover that the market witnessed last year with the advent of ChatGPT. However, that hasn’t stopped the Big Diesel from sharing intriguing AI generated images of several popular NBA stars that might surprise fans.

Last month, Shaq shocked fans after sharing AI-generated images of NBA stars like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Ben Simmons, and Scottie Pippen, among others, that projected their bodies to be buff and shredded. The eerie look of the NBA stars rocking shredded bodies was enough to creep out fans about the potential onslaught of AI in the future.

Shaquille O’Neal shares AI-generated images of ‘Old’ Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and others

Shaquille O’Neal has been very active on social media during his offseason hiatus from NBA on TNT. In fact, the Lakers legend has been regularly interacting with his millions of followers by sharing intriguing NBA posts from across the Internet. Similarly, this post shared by Shaq managed to capture the attention of fans.

The big man posted a video which showed AI-generated images of some of the NBA’s biggest stars projecting how they’d look when they’re old. The list of players included in the video were Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, James Harden, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, and Shaq himself.

 

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A post shared by DR. SHAQUILLE O’NEAL Ed.D. (@shaq)

Being the eldest man in the group at 51, Shaq’s current self looked nothing like the image that the AI generated from his look during his Lakers stint. Fans had a field day in the comment section after witnessing the hilarious elderly versions of their favorite NBA stars. While some pointed out that Harden looked like a homeless war vet, others thought Steph Curry looked like Skip Bayless. Meanwhile, a lot of fans got emotional after seeing the image of Kobe Bryant as an old man.

Shaq shared Stephen A. Smith’s concern

ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith expressed his fears regarding AI earlier this year. Smith brought up movies like I, Robot to point out the scary future we could be looking ahead to.

The veteran analyst’s reaction was prompted by a report that claimed AI could pose an existential threat to humanity in the future. Shaq ended up sharing Smith’s rant on AI on his Instagram stories to highlight the concern.

About the author

Satagni Sikder

Satagni Sikder

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Satagni Sikder, the Lead NBA Editor at The SportsRush, has written over 600 articles on basketball for different websites. His pieces have struck a chord not just with the readers but the stars as well. Shaquille O’Neal, no less, had shared one of his articles on Instagram. A Mavericks fan, Satagni’s love for the Dallas side began when Dirk Nowitzki led them to the title in 2011. Luka Doncic’s entry into the league and his insane game-ending buzzer-beater against the Clippers in the Orlando bubble ensured he is hitched for life. Satagni, who holds a Master's degree in English, writes analytical pieces, breaking down contracts, trade rumors, and player endorsement deals. In 2022, he extensively covered WNBA star Brittney Griner's exile in a Russian penal colony. One of the first to cover Shaq's Big Chicken restaurant chain, his article is cited in its Wikipedia page. In his free time, he watches political documentaries and debates.

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