What Percentage of the NBA is White?

We all know that the NBA is a predominantly black league. But just how black is it? We did some research to find out.

The NBA’s Racial History

The National Basketball Association has a long and complicated racial history. The league was founded in 1946, and at that time, it was made up of entirely white players. In fact, the league didn’t see its first black player until 1950, when Earl Lloyd joined the Washington Capitols. Today, the NBA is made up of about 74% black players, 23% white players, and 3% players of other races.

Pre-1950: All-white league

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league was founded in 1946 as the Basketball Association of America (BAA).[1] The league adopted the name National Basketball Association in 1949 after merging with the rival National Basketball League (NBL). The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada),[2] divided into two conferences: the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference.

The NBA’s predecessor was the all-white National Basketball League (NBL), which operated from 1937 to 1949.[3] But African American players were not welcome, leading to several successful efforts to form all-black professional leagues, notably the American Basketball League (1925–1931) and the Negro National League (1933–1948).[4][5] Some NBL teams began playing with black players in the late 1940s, but it would take another decade or so until an African American player joined an NBA team.[6]

In 1950, Bob Douglas became the first African American owner of a professional basketball team when he purchased the Tri-Cities Blackhawks, who were then members of the NBL.[7][8] That same year, Earl Lloyd became the first African American player to appear in an NBA game when he took the court for Washington Capitols.[3][9][10] Lloyd would go on to have a successful 10-year career in the NBA.[11]

1950s-1970s: Integration of the NBA

In the late 1940s and early 1950s, several African American players began to enter the NBA. Among them were Chuck Cooper, the first black player drafted by an NBA team, and Earl Lloyd, the first black player to actually take the court in an NBA game. These men were followed by a number of other African American players who made significant contributions to the league throughout the 1950s, including Bill Russell, Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, and Oscar Robertson.

By the early 1960s, African American players had come to dominate the sport of basketball. In 1961-62, they made up more than 80% of the players in the NBA. This trend continued throughout the decade; in 1969-70, African Americans constituted 86.3% of all NBA players.

The integration of the NBA was not without its challenges, however. In December 1963, for example, a game between the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers was postponed when Sixers center Wilt Chamberlain threatened to sit out rather than play against four white Celtics players (Bill Russell had been sidelined with an injury). The following season saw several violent incidents on court between white and black players.

Despite these difficulties, the NBA made significant progress in integrating its ranks during the 1950s and 1960s. By 1969-70, African Americans made up 86.3% of all NBA players.

1980s-present: Increasing diversity

During the 1980s, the number of foreign players in the NBA began to increase, a trend that has continued into the 21st century. In the 1984-85 season, 10% of NBA players were foreign born, most notably Nigerian player Hakeem Olajuwon, who was drafted first overall in 1984 by the Houston Rockets. By 2002-03, over 20% of NBA players were foreign born. In the 2013-14 season, over 25% of NBA players were foreign born.

The rising percentage of foreign born players has led to a decline in the percentage of American born players in the NBA. In 1984-85, 90% of NBA players were American born. By 2002-03, this number had declined to 80%. In 2013-14, only 74% of NBA players were American born.

The decline in the percentage of American born players has been accompanied by an increase in the racial diversity of the league. In 1984-85, 94% of NBA players were black or white. By 2002-03, this number had declined to 85%. In 2013-14, 76% of NBA players were black or white.

The NBA Today

The National Basketball Association is a professional basketball league in North America. The league was founded in 1946, and today comprises 30 teams. The NBA is widely considered to be the premier professional basketball league in the world. In this article, we’ll take a look at the percentage of the NBA that is white.

Percentage of white players in the NBA

As the NBA continues to grow in popularity, the question of what percentage of the league is composed of white players has come to the forefront. While the answer to this question is not as simple as it may appear, the most recent estimates suggest that around 15% of all NBA players are white.

This number may seem low, but it is actually a significant increase from just a few years ago when the percentage of white players was closer to 10%. This increase can be attributed to a number of factors, including the rise of international players and the growth of basketball in countries like Australia and Lithuania.

What is also interesting to note is that the percentage of black players in the NBA has remained relatively static over the past few years, hovering around 75%. This means that the league is still predominantly black, but the gap between white and black players is slowly but surely beginning to close.

The most successful NBA teams

The most successful NBA teams, according to winning percentage, are the San Antonio Spurs, the Golden State Warriors, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Of these teams, the Spurs and Warriors have the highest concentration of white players. The Thunder and Cavaliers have a nearly equal number of white and black players.

The NBA’s global appeal

In recent years, the NBA has become increasingly global in its appeal. In fact, according to a recent report by Forbes, the league is now the most popular sports league in the world.

One of the main reasons for the NBA’s growing popularity is its diverse player base.Of the league’s 500-plus players, approximately 20 percent are international players from over 40 different countries. And while the majority of NBA players are still American-born (78 percent), the league is slowly but surely becoming more diverse.

Interestingly, though, while the NBA is becoming more global in terms of its player base, it is still predominantly a white league. According to STATISTICS, 83 percent of NBA players are black or white.

This lack of diversity may be due in part to the fact that basketball is still largely considered a “black” sport. In fact, according to a recent study by USA Today, black athletes make up 70 percent of all NBA players and 79 percent of all NFL players.

So while the NBA may be slowly becoming more diverse, it still has a long way to go before it truly reflects the diversity of its global fan base.