Skip to main content

All-VR team: NBA launches Google Daydream VR app with series featuring NBA legends

The NBA on Friday launched its own virtual reality app on the Google Daydream. As part of the launch, the NBA will debut its first-ever episodic VR series, House of Legends, featuring NBA Hall of Famers and other greats.

Hosted by comedian Chris Distefano, House of Legends will be an immersive interview series where former NBA athletes discuss their careers and a bit of pop culture. The first episode will feature one of the most-clutch NBA players ever, seven-time NBA champion Robert Horry. Future episodes will include more NBA greats like James Worthy, Bruce Bowen, John Starks, John Salley, and Chauncey Billups. No schedule for the episodes has been announced yet.

Recommended Videos

The new NBA VR app will feature a virtual sports lounge where you can catch Steph Curry splashes, Lebron James passes, and many other NBA highlights. The app was built by visual effects company Digital Domain, which also produced the House of Legends series, as well as designed and created the 3D sports lounge.

The NBA has been holding court in the VR realm so far this year. The league and premier virtual reality production company NextVR recently announced plans to offer free on-demand highlights from all of the 2017 NBA All Star Game festivities in virtual reality for the first time ever. Anyone with the NextVR app and a Samsung Gear VR or Google Daydream headset will be able to enjoy the Taco Bell Skills Challenge, JBL Three-Point Contest. and Verizon Slam Dunk Contest this weekend in virtual reality.

For the 2016-2017 NBA season, one game a week has been live-streamed in virtual reality on the NextVR app for those with NBA League Pass subscriptions. Starting February 23, anyone can now pay to watch single games through NBA League Pass for $6.99 per game.

The NBA is taking an “if you build it, they will come” approach with virtual reality. “There aren’t millions upon millions of people clamoring to watch NBA in VR, just yet,” Jeff Marsillo, vice president of global media for the NBA, told Digital Trends in the press room at Madison Square Garden last November. “When that does arrive, we want to be ready.”

The NBA VR app is available in the Google Play Store.

Keith Nelson Jr.
Former Staff Writer, Entertainment
Keith Nelson Jr is a music/tech journalist making big pictures by connecting dots. Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY he…
A coding blunder just ruined a moment of joy for lottery winners
Eurojackpot lottery slips.

Imagine the joy of being notified of a huge lottery win. What would be the first thing you’d do? Get the champagne in? Book a fancy vacation? Call your boss and tell him where to go?

And then imagine being informed that the notification had, in fact, been sent in error. Well, you can always send the booze back and cancel the holiday, but trying to convince your boss that you were just joking ... well, that may be a bigger challenge.

Read more
This TP-Link Wi-Fi 6 router is 45% off in early Prime Day deal
The TP-Link AX1800 Archer AX21 Wi-FI 6 Router on a white background.

If you're planning to buy a new router to improve your home's Wi-Fi network, the good news is that you don't have to wait for Prime Day 2025 to take advantage of huge discounts on router deals from Amazon. Here's an excellent offer — the TP-Link Archer AX21 with an eye-catching 45% discount, which drops its price from $100 to just $55. The $45 in savings will only be available for a limited time though, so you better act fast and proceed with your purchase immediately as this early Prime Day deal may disappear at any moment.

Buy Now

Read more
Watch these AI humanoid robots play soccer like Mbappé … sort of
Humanoid robots playing soccer.

Watching these humanoid robots battle it out on the soccer field, you quickly realize that Kylian Mbappé and his fellow professionals really have little to worry about. At least, for now.

The footage (top) was captured last week in Beijing at the RoBoLeague World Robot Soccer League, China's first-ever three-on-three humanoid robot soccer league.

Read more