The Wizards last month invited a "computer-generated virtual influencer" named Liam Nikuro to attend an exhibition game against the Clippers in Orlando, and the character has since become a "VIP guest" of the team in the NBA bubble, according to Scott Allen of the WASHINGTON POST. Nikuro, who has nearly 15,000 Instagram followers, is one of a growing number of "almost-human-looking characters manufactured by venture capital-backed technology companies across the world to serve as brand ambassadors in the music, fashion and entertainment industries." Nikuro was created by Tokyo-based 1Sec Inc. and is the "first such character to be employed by an NBA team." Monumental Sports & Entertainment President of Business Operations & CCO Jim Van Stone said, “We just thought it was a really unique and great way to connect with a younger generation and a new audience for us." Allen wrote MS&E Social Influence Manager Saxx Booker's "digging led her to Nikuro, whose Tokyo-based creator bills the character as Japan’s first male virtual influencer." He is a "basketball fan who splits his time between Tokyo and Los Angeles." The Wizards have "invested heavily in building their fan base in Japan" since drafting F Rui Hachimura (WASHINGTON POST, 8/6).
