Revisiting Racial Disparities in NBA Career Longevity

Roger Pizarro Milian

Social Science Quarterly, 2025, vol. 106, issue 7

Abstract: Objective This study re‐examines racial disparities in career longevity among players in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Studies of this topic have thus far produced mixed results. Methods This study examines a rich dataset containing demographic and performance data for all NBA draft picks over more than two decades (1980–2005). It employs multiple regression techniques, including Ordinary Least Squares, quantile, Poisson, and Negative Binomial regression, and performs sub‐sample analyses on various groups of interest. Results The statistical models produce evidence that non‐Black players have NBA careers that are roughly 0.75 seasons longer, net of a long list of theoretically relevant controls. This finding is consistent with studies noting the long‐term decline of racial disparities in the association. Conclusion Race remains an important, though modest, factor that differentiates career outcomes in the NBA. Richer data sources are required to better understand the dynamics that shape career longevity and involuntary exits more broadly.

Date: 2025
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