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JAPAN — We've all seen tight basketball games, when in the final moments a player from the team that's trailing intentionally fouls the other team's worst shooter. This strategy stops the clock, retaining critical seconds for the losing team to stage a comeback — and it puts the ball squarely in the hands of a player who struggles from the free-throw line.
If you're cheering for the team with the lead, you watch with apprehension as the fouled player lumbers up to the line. Will they overcome the pressure and make these shots that they so often miss? Will they help your team secure the victory?
Fortunately, there's a new solution that can alleviate these stressful moments: robots. That's right, with a sharp-shooting robot on your team you can rest assured that critical free-throws are hit with ease.
Check out this footage for a brief taste of the future.
Not only can this robot dribble and pass, but it showcases perfect form at the free-throw line. There would be no such thing as "Hack-a-Shaq" defense if you had a robot playing in the post.
But there's one undeniable drawback to this otherwise flawless robot solution. If the robot looks toward you with its creepy cyclops eye during the game, you will be haunted by that image for the rest of your life.
Are robot nightmares a small price to pay for more victories? That's for you to decide.
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