Racial Diversity in the NBA

Whether you are an avid NBA fan or a casual observer, it can seem like the professional basketball world in the USA is a wholly African-American one. This hasn't always been the case of course, with the NBA only welcoming its first black player in the 1940's, however aside from the odd exception like Jeremy Lin, the household names of the NBA in recent decades have almost all been black. However, the actual make up of the NBA is more diverse than you might think, and while it is certainly a sport that black athletes are excelling in, any white, Hispanic or Asian kids who love the sport and would eventually like a shot at being pro players can find just as much support and success.

What Are the Actual Percentages of Different Ethnicities?

Going on the NBA in 2015, it appears that 23.3% of its players were white. The overwhelming majority at 74.4% was African American as you might expect, and then there is a small representation of Hispanic players at 1.8%, and Asian players at 0.02%. This shows that while the majority are black, nearly a quarter are white, which is a higher percentage than most people would guess – perhaps due to the stereotype that 'white men can't jump'!

Considering the fact that height is a significant advantage in basketball and that Asian people have a lower average height, it is perhaps not surprising that Asian Americans are hardly represented at all – talented Asian players may prefer to play in Asian leagues where the average heights are lower. Why there are so few Latino players may be more of a mystery, perhaps related to the fact that culturally Hispanic people tend to favor other sports like soccer.

Basketball Outside of North America

Outside of North America, basketball is a less popular sport. Though it does still have a following in Europe, Asia and South America, it is not the major televised sport that it is here, and players cannot command the same kind of fame and money. However, in Europe, for example, top level basketball teams tend to have more diversity, with a much higher proportion of white players. In fact, in most European leagues, the proportions of people of different ethnicities is fairly similar to the proportions of those ethnicities in the population of the country as a whole.

Should Asian, Hispanic and White Youth Players Be Encouraged More?

As with any sport, it should be the most talented and hard working players who have the brightest futures, regardless of race, and since culturally some communities prefer different sports, there is no reason why we should be pushing to make the NBA more diverse. However, youth players with promise who are from backgrounds other than African American should still find just as much support in terms of the opportunities for things like athletes-usa.com basketball scholarships as talented black teens.

Basketball is one of America's favorite sports, and should be a welcoming environment for any promising player.