SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — NBA Commissioner Adam Silver had no idea 25 years ago that the Tech Summit would turn into much of anything, much less one of the hottest tickets at All-Star weekend.
Then again, nobody could have seen this coming.
The NBA celebrated 25 years of tech summits on Friday, a full-circle moment of sorts. The event started when the league's All-Star weekend was most recently in the Bay Area in 2000 — and now, a quarter-century later, with this weekend's events in San Francisco the tech summit is back and still growing.
The question at that first summit was a simple one: "What's next?" Turns out, nobody had the entire answer.
“Our first Tech Summit feels like a distant memory because there has been so much innovation around media and technology over the past 25 years,” said Silver, who was president of NBA Entertainment when the tech summit was born. “We started the Tech Summit in San Francisco during the early days of the internet. At that time, there were skeptics, including many of the prominent leaders in sports media, who felt the ’World Wide Web' wouldn’t become as transformational as some were forecasting.
"Of course, the internet went on to impact virtually every aspect of our lives and create enormous disruption in every industry, with sports being no exception.”
Among the speakers at the first summit: A tech star named Mark Cuban, who was about to take over as owner of the Dallas Mavericks. Many team owners have been part of the tech summit since; Golden State co-chairman and CEO Joe Lacob was one of the panelists at this year's event.
“I give the NBA credit for having the forethought,” Cuban said in an email to The Associated Press. “And of course, back then, I said streaming would dominate.”
He was right: The first panel on Friday was a conversation between leaders from major streaming services — Netflix, Apple, Amazon and YouTube, along with ESPN and NBC Sports. The NBA releases a schedule and list of panelists for the summit, but to promote a robust exchange of ideas all attendees and participants agree that almost everything said during the event is off the record.
Other panelists on Friday included National Basketball Players Association executive director Andre Iguodala, All-Star players Victor Wembanyama of San Antonio and Jalen Brunson of New York, WNBA champion Sabrina Ionescu of the New York Liberty, and USA Basketball chairperson Gen. Martin E. Dempsey — a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
It was generally thought that the first Tech Summit was going to also be the last. The All-Star Game was in the Bay Area, a global tech capital, and it just made sense to talk about how the world was rapidly changing.
But the event worked. So, it came back — and keeps coming back.
It has grown into a very hot ticket, a who’s-who of the NBA featuring team owners, billionaires from other walks of industry, media moguls and more. Silver said he’s also enjoyed the 1-on-1 on-stage interviews that have highlighted past summits, such as conversations with NBA greats including Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan and Larry Bird. The conversation this year: broadcaster Bob Costas interviewing Golden State coach Steve Kerr.
“It was something we had created uniquely for that moment in time in Silicon Valley,” Silver said. “And while the event has grown over the years, we’ve also managed to keep it fairly intimate because the smaller size leads to more thoughtful and engaging conversations.”
Silver wouldn't have known what to guess when asked in 2000 what the conversations would be about in 2025.
And when asked to predict what the topics at the Tech Summit in 2050 will be, he didn't know where to begin — because, of course, nobody knows what's coming in the next quarter-century.
“Other than the game of basketball, I really have no idea.” Silver said. “We’re featuring AI and robotics at this year’s event. Who knew?”
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San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama looks to shoot during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards, Monday, Feb. 10, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
LAS VEGAS (AP) — A Nevada judge sentenced “Dances With Wolves” actor Nathan Chasing Horse on Monday to life in prison for sexually assaulting Indigenous women and girls.
A jury had previously convicted him of 13 charges, mostly related to sexual assault of three women.
Accusers and their families told Judge Jessica Peterson they continue to suffer from the trauma caused by Chasing Horse, 49, and struggle with their faith after he exploited his position as a spiritual leader.
“There is no way to get back the youth, the childhood loss, my first time, my first kiss, the graduation I never got to have,” said Corena Leone-LaCroix, who was 14 when Chasing Horse assaulted her. “The life that little girl could have lived has been taken from me forever.”
The Associated Press typically does not use the name of alleged sexual assault victims unless they come forward publicly, as Leone-LaCroix has.
Chasing Horse, wearing his navy blue Clark County Detention Center uniform, stared straight ahead as victims read their statements. He’ll be eligible for parole after serving for 37 years, and has continued to deny the charges against him.
“This is a miscarriage of justice,” he told the judge on Monday.
Peterson said she was struck by his continued denial of the charges despite the evidence shown in trial.
“You preyed on these women’s trusts and their spirituality, and you manipulated them for your own personal gratification," she said before she announced his sentence.
The sentencing wraps a yearslong effort to prosecute the former actor after he was first arrested and indicted in 2023. That initial arrest reverberated around Indian Country, with law enforcement in other states and Canada following up with more criminal charges. Those charges are still pending.
The British Columbia Prosecution Service said Chasing Horse was charged with sexual assault in February 2023, though the date of the alleged offense took place in September 2018 near Keremeos, a village about four hours east of Vancouver. In November 2023, the case paused due to Chasing Horse’s charges in the United States, but resumed the following year.
After all of Chasing Horse’s appeals have been exhausted, British Columbia prosecutors will assess next steps, Damienne Darby, communications counsel for the British Columbia Prosecution Service, said in an email.
A warrant against Chasing Horse remains outstanding in Alberta, the Tsuut’ina Nation Police Service in Alberta said in a statement following Chasing Horse’s conviction in January. The Tsuut’ina Nation Police Service said that it is in contact with the Alberta Crown Prosecutors Office regarding the warrant.
Chasing Horse was born on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, which is home to the Sicangu Sioux, one of the seven tribes of the Lakota nation. Following his appearance as the young Sioux tribe member Smiles a Lot in Kevin Costner’s Oscar-winning film “Dances With Wolves,” Chasing Horse traveled across Indian Country to attend powwows and perform healing ceremonies.
During his trial, Nevada prosecutors said Chasing Horse used his reputation as a Lakota medicine man to prey on Indigenous women and girls.
Deputy District Attorney Bianca Pucci told the jury that for almost 20 years, Chasing Horse “spun a web of abuse” that ensnared many women.
Jurors heard from three women who said Chasing Horse sexually assaulted them. The jury returned guilty verdicts on some charges. He was acquitted on others.
Multiple victims described how they participated in his ceremonies or went to Chasing Horse for medical help.
Chasing Horse allegedly told Leone-LaCroix when she was 14 that the spirits wanted her to give up her virginity to save her mother, who was diagnosed with cancer. He then sexually assaulted her and told her that if she told anyone, her mother would die, according to Pucci. The sexual assaults continued for years, Pucci said.
Chasing Horse denied the allegations and his attorney questioned the main accuser’s credibility, calling her a “scorned woman.” His attorney had filed a motion for a new trial, arguing that a witness was not qualified to talk about grooming and that the statute of limitations had expired. That motion was denied.
Victims and their family members testified that they struggle with their faith as a result of Chasing Horse’s actions. The mothers of the victims said Chasing Horse betrayed their trust and abused sacred traditions.
“Even to this day I struggle to regain my faith and spirituality,” said Lynnette Adams, the mother of Siera Begaye, one of the other victims.
The AP typically does not use the name of alleged sexual assault victims unless they come forward publicly or approved the use of their names, as Begaye has.
Begaye said she still faces complications after suffering an ectopic pregnancy as a result of the assault and being forced to undergo surgery.
“I am choosing to see this moment as a fresh start," Begaye said. "I will rebuild my life, reclaim my voice and continue fighting for the future I deserve."
FILE - Nathan Chasing Horse, right, talks to his attorney Craig Mueller during his trial on charges of sexually abusing Indigenous women and girls, Jan. 13, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil, file)
