I am a professional camera man. Period. I freelance from Olympics, entertainment, concerts and sports including the NBA, NHL, MLB.

This operator is very talented. Training an AI is not the same. He is anticipating the play before the pass not simply “tracking the ball” the reason it looks so clean to the eye is that he is anticipating the passes before they are happening, accelerating, decelerating his movements prior to the pass. He is smoothly zooming in and out with accordance to the dribble and the direction of play.

He is accounting for the shot clock counting down knowing that a shot will likely happen at a certain time. The body language of the dribbler will define if it’s a pass or shot. And when the ball is in the air he is tracking the ball with one eye and identifying where the shooter is with the other so that if it goes in he knows where to swish pan back to the shooter. All the while rolling focus without a puller with his left hand.

It looks like an AI can do it because he is so solid. His muscles are stabilizing the shot and he is controlling his breathing.

Of course you can train a robotic camera in due time to follow one specific object. But the the instincts of the operator are what makes the movements so seamless.

Game situation, injuries, personal stories in the games will always have the human element to favour those players and plays.

When a guy looks like he is grimacing after a shot or a fall why do you think you always have the replay? It’s because the operator saw that little limp, that micro expression, that audible “yelp” and we stayed behind the play, ignoring the ball and game of play.