Article · May 2026
Magnus Carlsen told the NBA app to 'do better'
In May 2026 the world's best-known chess player said the NBA app spoiled the Western Conference Finals for him with its no-spoilers setting turned on. Here is what happened, and why it keeps happening.
By the HideScore team · Updated · 3 min read
In late May 2026, Magnus Carlsen sat down for an interview in the middle of Norway Chess, in Oslo. At the end, he changed the subject. He did not talk about chess. He talked about the NBA app.
He was following the Western Conference Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs. He had the app's no-spoilers setting turned on. The app spoiled the series for him anyway.
What he said
The interview aired in Chess.com's live broadcast of day 3 of the tournament. "This has absolutely nothing to do with the game," he started. Then: "Whoever is responsible for the NBA app, we have one of the best series in years going on right now in the Western Conference Finals, and when people have 'no spoilers' on in the app, they expect no spoilers. So, do better." Basketball sites picked up the clip the next day, and it spread from there.
Why a setting is not enough
The NBA app has a Hide Scores switch. It hides the number on each game card. But a sports app shows the result in many other places: headlines, story images, alerts, the schedule for the next round, and the series record. A switch that covers one of those places leaves the others open. The NBA's own help page tells fans that some home-page headlines and images can still show how a game ended. Read how the Hide Scores setting has failed before.
It is not only the NBA
The same thing happens in every sport. A score app is built to be fast, and fast is the problem when you watch on delay. Apple has said its sports app is often faster than the TV. A broadcaster's own catch-up page can give the result away in a thumbnail. The fix is not a better switch inside a score app. The fix is a page that never had the score on it. Read why your phone is faster than your TV.
What HideScore does
HideScore shows spoiler-free sports highlights. Free, no account, no ads, no gambling. The board lists each game with no score, no winner and no standings. You pick a game, and the highlights open with the title covered. There is no switch to forget, because the score is never printed on the board.
Open HideScore. No score is printed on the board.
Open HideScoreSources
- Chess GOAT Magnus Carlsen calls out NBA app over spoiler issue during Western Conference Finals · Fadeaway World, May 28, 2026
- Chess legend Magnus Carlsen wants the NBA to 'do better' after horrible WCF experience · HITC, May 28, 2026
- World's best chess player calls out NBA for spoiling Knicks' Finals opponent · EssentiallySports, May 28, 2026
Frequently asked questions
What did Magnus Carlsen say about the NBA app?
During a chess broadcast in May 2026 he said: "when people have 'no spoilers' on in the app, they expect no spoilers. So, do better." He was talking about the NBA's own app during the Western Conference Finals.
Does the NBA app have a setting that hides scores?
Yes. The NBA app and NBA.com have a Hide Scores setting. It hides the score on the game cards, but other parts of the app, such as headlines, images and alerts, can still show how a game ended.
How can I watch NBA highlights without seeing the score first?
Open the highlights from a page that prints no score. HideScore lists each game with no score, no winner and no standings, and opens the highlights with the title covered.