Broken Hoop Dreams? Racism in NBA Entry, 1980–2021

Roger Pizarro Milian

Social Science Quarterly, 2025, vol. 106, issue 5

Abstract: Objective Since the 1970s, research has documented various racial disparities in the National Basketball Association (NBA), yet discrimination at the point of league entry remains understudied. This study examines the likelihood that drafted players ultimately appear in an NBA game. Methods We constructed a dataset combining publicly available pre‐draft performance, demographic, and other information for drafted players, linked to records indicating whether they ever played in the league. We analyzed these data using descriptive statistics, binary logistic regression, and mixed‐effects models. Results Analyses reveal evidence of racial disparities in league entry during the early 1980s, which declined steadily and disappeared by the early 2000s. We discuss potential social mechanisms underlying the disappearance of entry discrimination over the studied period

Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bla:socsci:v:106:y:2025:i:5:n:e70076

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