When the Brooklyn Nets tipped off their 2026-27 regular season home opener at New York City’s Barclays Center on October 21, attendees got far more than a courtside view of NBA action against the Charlotte Hornets — they got a first-hand demonstration of cutting-edge Chinese digital technology integrated into the fan experience. Long lines of excited Nets supporters wrapped around a dedicated interactive zone for the newly launched Nets Figure Lab, a custom attraction developed in partnership with global Chinese tech giant Alibaba Group, who joined the franchise as both its Official Jersey Patch Partner and Official Technology and Cloud Partner for the Nets’ milestone 60th anniversary season.
At the Nets Figure Lab kiosks, fans stepped up to have their portraits captured by high-resolution sensors. In under 60 seconds, Alibaba’s cloud-powered AI system generated a hyper-realistic digital avatar of each guest, rendered wearing a Nets uniform from any of the franchise’s historical eras. The avatar was then printed as a high-quality, limited-run personalized collectible trading card. Special edition card drops are scheduled for upcoming themed game nights, including the team’s annual Lunar New Year celebration, and a subset of cards feature a rare gold basketball marker that grants holders access to exclusive prizes such as autographed team merchandise.
Attendee reactions to the technology were overwhelmingly positive. Carlton Brown, a New Jersey local, noted that the AI avatar perfectly captured his signature smile, and expressed curiosity about the robust cloud processing power that made the near-instant generation possible. Daoud Choudhry, a 30-year-old Brooklyn resident, remarked that the seamless experience left him with a deep impression of how advanced Chinese tech development has become. Even first-time NBA visitors like Luka Bogdanovic, a tourist from Serbia, called his custom avatar card a one-of-a-kind souvenir he would cherish and share back home.
The custom collectible cards were only one piece of Alibaba’s tech integration across the Barclays Center campus for the home opener. The Nets also deployed a multi-camera capture system powered by Alibaba’s cloud infrastructure, with 64 specialized cameras mounted around the arena’s suite level to track on-court action from every possible angle. The real-time footage feeds are processed to generate seamless, fully immersive 360-degree replays and visuals, which the team used to produce dynamic, cinematic starting lineup introduction clips broadcast across the four massive suspended LED screens hanging above the playing court during the pre-game opening show.
This new tech partnership builds on the Nets’ long, well-documented history of engaging with Chinese basketball audiences. The franchise has played multiple NBA China Games across mainland cities including Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Shenzhen, and made its fourth appearance in the international preseason showcase in 2025, when it faced off against the Phoenix Suns for two exhibition matches in Macao. The team has also hosted annual Lunar New Year celebrations at Barclays Center for years, featuring traditional Chinese cultural performances, themed concessions, custom player warmup jerseys, and Mandarin-language starting lineup announcements to honor its global fan base.
High-profile guests in attendance for the opening night festivities included Alibaba co-founder and Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai, legendary former England football captain David Beckham, and NBA Hall of Famer Vince Carter, all of whom watched the matchup courtside. Despite the Nets ultimately falling to the Charlotte Hornets by a final score of 110-103, the array of new tech-driven fan experiences left a lasting positive impression on attendees, marking a high-profile showcase of Chinese cloud and AI innovation in one of the United States’ most iconic sports entertainment venues.
Chinese technology takes center court at Brooklyn Nets home opener
