What Percentage of the NBA is Black?

The percentage of black players in the NBA has been on the rise in recent years. In the 2016-2017 season, around 74% of players were black. But what percentage of the NBA is black?

The NBA’s Racial Breakdown

The NBA is made up of 74.4% black players, 23.3% white players, and 1.8% players of other races, according to a 2019 report. This is a significant increase from the league’s racial makeup in 1980, when it was 80% white and 20% black. The NBA has been diversifying its player pool in recent years, with an increasing number of players coming from Africa, Asia, and Europe.

The NBA’s player population

The NBA is nearly 75 percent black, a much higher percentage than in Major League Baseball, the National Football League or the National Hockey League, according to a USA TODAY analysis of race and ethnicity among professional athletes.

African-Americans make up 74.4 percent of NBA players, far outpacing the next closest league, the NFL, where they are 21.9 percent of the player population. MLB is 8.5 percent black and the NHL is 2.1 percent black, according to 2017 figures from each league.

The racial diversity of the NBA stands in contrast to that of its two main competitors in the U.S. sports landscape: MLB and the NFL. Both leagues have a similar percentage of white players: MLB is 59 percent white and the NFL is 61.7 percent white, according to league data.

The NBA’s coaching population

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is an American professional basketball league. It is made up of 30 teams, 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. The NBA is one of the four major North American professional sports leagues. NBA players are the world’s best paid athletes by average annual salary per player.
The league was founded in New York City on June 6, 1946, as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). The league adopted the name National Basketball Association on August 3, 1949, after merging with its rival National Basketball League (NBL). The NBA’s several international as well as individual team offices are directed out of its head offices located in the Olympic Tower at 645 Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan.

The Historical Context of the NBA’s Racial Breakdown

The NBA is an organization that has been dominated by African American players since its inception. In the early years of the league, white players made up the majority of the league. However, as the league has progressed, the percentage of black players has increased.

The NBA’s origins

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a men’s professional basketball league in North America, composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). It is widely considered to be the premier men’s professional basketball league in the world.

The NBA was founded in New York City on June 6, 1946, as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). The league adopted the name of the National Basketball Association at its founding meeting in August of that year. The league’s several international as well as individual team offices are directed out of its head offices located in Midtown Manhattan. NBA Entertainment and NBA TV studios are directed out of offices located in Secaucus, New Jersey.

The Basketball Association of America was founded in 1946 by owners of the major ice hockey arenas in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States and Canada. On November 1, 1946, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the Toronto Huskies hosted the New York Knickerbockers at Maple Leaf Gardens, which served as the BAA’s inaugural game.

The first African American player(s) in the BAA was Chuck Cooper, who was drafted by the Boston Celtics with the 14th overall pick in 1950. Earl Lloyd became the first African American to play an NBA game when he took to court for his debut with the Washington Capitols on October 31, 1950.

The ABA and the NBA’s merger

In the years before the NBA and ABA merger, the two leagues had different approaches to Racial diversity. The NBA was 65% white and 35% African American, while the ABA was 58.7% white and 41.3% African American. However, after the 1976 merger, the league shifted to a 50-50 split between whites and blacks. This is largely due to the fact that most of the ABA’s black players were drafted into the NBA.

The NBA’s Racial Breakdown Today

The NBA has seen a dramatic increase in the number of black players over the past few decades. In 1980, roughly 23% of the league was black. Today, that number has risen to over 74%. The question is, why? There are a number of theories. Some believe that the NBA is becoming more accepting of black players, while others believe that the pool of black talent is simply getting larger. Let’s take a closer look at the data.

The NBA’s player population

As of the 2019-2020 season, the NBA is made up of 74.4% black players, 23.3% white players, 1.8% Latino players, and 0.5% Asian players according to data from the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida. This is compared to the general U.S. population which is 13.4% black, 62.1% white, 18.5% Latino, and 5.9% Asian according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2018 estimates.

The NBA’s coaching population

Of the 30 head coaches in the NBA, 80% are white and 20% are black. In 1950, 85% of the league’s players were white and 15% were black. The league began to slowly integrate in the late 1950s, and by 1966, 33% of players were black. The following season, 1967, saw the NBA’s first black head coach: Bill Russell of the Boston Celtics. In 1984, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird helped the league explode in popularity with their intense rivalry, with Johnson’s Los Angeles Lakers and Bird’s Boston Celtics dominating the NBA Finals throughout the 1980s. The 1980s also saw the rise of Michael Jordan, who would become not only one of the greatest players of all time but also a global icon.

Today, 74% of NBA players are black and 26% are white.