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On the heels of our VR discussions with the Golden State Warriors, the team just won a well-publicized free agency battle for Kevin Durant. But what wasn’t well-publicized was that they courted him (excuse the pun) using their new favorite technology: VR.
USA Today just brought to light that VR was a big part of the Warriors’ pitch. Beyond KD’s best shot at a title in 2017, the Warriors were able to convey an immersive team experience. It included everything from locker room footage to Bay Area scenery to apropos Drake lyrics.
KD has certainly been through that Oracle Arena experience in the flesh — very recently in the western conference championship series. But the immersive VR demo reportedly wow’d him for the team’s tech-forward approach, augmenting his longstanding desire to play in Oakland.
It all went down at the Hamptons meetings KD held with suitors including LA (Clippers) and Boston. Beyond VR, Steph Curry and other players proved commitment to KD by flying out to be there in actual reality… though a Hamptons trip doesn’t likely require much arm-twisting.
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Disclosure: ARtillry has no financial stake in the companies mentioned in this article, nor received payment for its production. Disclosure and ethics policy can be seen here.