Google has set up a Pixel Playground free to the public, joining the National Basketball Association (NBA) to celebrate the All-Star Weekend.
The Pixel Playground is an immersive experience that brings streetball culture from across the country to fans in Salt Lake City.
Google recreated its Pixel pick-up game, putting it at the center of the activation, surrounded by pop-up experiences inspired by various facets of hoops culture that the entire family can enjoy. The event, free for all guests and open to the public, began on Friday and will end on Sunday.
The weekend’s events included a celebration of the second NBA HBCU Classic. The festivities give game fans a preview of the energy seen on the court during Saturday’s matchup between Southern University and Grambling State.
During Saturday night’s dunk contest, AT&T also powered the Shaq Cam, a set of 5G Google Pixel Pro 7 phones that will stream dunks and Shaquille O’Neal’s reactions to each.
AT&T’s Playmaker Arcade’s augmented reality game at the NBA Crossover let fans dunk and dribble using 360-degree body scan technology to create personalized avatars that competed in a digital dunk contest against current and former pros.
Meta demoed its Quest headsets for fans throughout the weekend, including at the NBA Crossover space, allowing fans to try out VR games and buy the latest equipment, Sports Business Journal reported.
At the start of the 2022-2023 NBA season, Google released its Okay, I See You campaign, featuring Google Pixel 7, the Official Fan Phone of the NBA, and a short film that shows how a small outdoor pick-up game eventually becomes the greatest of all time. It features cameos by Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, Candace Parker, Kelsey Plum and Jalen Green, Druski, Chris Brickley, Jayson Tatum, Nav Bhatia and Jimmy Goldstein, Simu Liu, and many more.