Google has brought NBA star Stephen Curry on board to help shape the company’s hardware, features, and AI services. The long-term partnership was announced today at the Made by Google event, with Curry joining the company as a “performance advisor” for Google’s Health, Pixel, and Cloud products, leaning into his athletic experience and expertise.
Part of Curry’s job will involve testing and providing feedback for Fitbit’s new personal health coach, sharing “coaching methods and philosophies” that can be used to improve the feature, according to Google’s press release. The health coach is a Gemini-based chatbot that generates customized workout routines and metric targets for Fitbit app users based on the health goals they’re working towards.
“This hands-on work has already begun, with Stephen and his team of experts working with our health experts and product and AI engineers to test our new products and experiences, giving us incredibly valuable feedback,” says Google’s platforms and devices head, Rick Osterloh. “Stephen’s elite insights and our AI technology aren’t just for sports — our work together will show how anyone can use these products and features to maintain a healthier lifestyle and get more done.”
As expected, this partnership also means Curry and his team will be contract-bound to use Google’s hardware portfolio, including Pixel phones, watches, and earbuds. Curry is also implementing AI tools like Google Cloud’s AI Basketball Coach into his student training programs, which Google says can help to “perfect your jump shot” — something Curry probably doesn’t need much help with himself, with a 42 percent average on three pointers for his career.
The team-up will likely result in Curry making some branded content appearances, but we will have to wait and see if Google makes any meaningful product improvements under Curry’s guidance.
