What Percentage of NBA Players Are White?

A recent report from the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida showed that the percentage of white players in the NBA has declined in recent years. In 2016, 70 percent of NBA players were black, while only 20 percent were white. This is a significant change from 2014, when 78 percent of NBA players were black and 17 percent were white.

So what percentage of NBA players are white today? It’s hard to say exactly, but it’s safe to

Introduction

Today, the NBA is made up of players from all over the world, with a wide range of backgrounds and skin colors. But what percentage of NBA players are white?

In 2019-20, there are 82 white players in the NBA, comprising 20 percent of the league. That’s down from 30 percent in 2014-15, and 41 percent as recently as 2001-02. In other words, the percentage of white players in the NBA has been steadily declining for over a decade.

There are a number of factors that may be driving this trend. For one thing, the globalization of the game has led to a influx of players from countries like Australia, Canada, France, and Lithuania. In addition, young black players are increasingly being scouted and recruited by NBA teams.

Whatever the reasons, it’s clear that the makeup of the league is changing. And as the NBA becomes more diverse, it’s likely that fans will continue to see more exciting and competitive basketball than ever before.

The History of the NBA

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league was founded in New York City on June 6, 1946, as the Basketball Association of America (BAA).[1] It changed its name to the National Basketball Association on August 3, 1949, after merging with the rival National Basketball League (NBL). The NBA is one of the four major North American professional sports leagues, the other three being Major League Baseball (MLB), National Football League (NFL), and National Hockey League (NHL).[2]

The league consists of 30 teams, 26 of which are located in the United States and four in Canada. FIBA currently recognizes the NBA as the preeminent men’s professional basketball league in the world,[3] and it is widely considered to be the premier men’s professional basketball league in North America.[4][5][6][7] The NBA is an active member of USA Basketball (USAB),[8] which is recognized by FIBA as the national governing body for basketball in the United States.[9][10]

According to a 2020 report from Statista, 74 percent of NBA players are black, 23 percent are white, 1 percent are Latino, and 1 percent are Asian.

The NBA Today

Today, the NBA is made up of players from all over the world, with over 70% of players coming from outside the United States. In recent years, the percentage of white players in the NBA has been declining, and currently only around 15% of players are white. This is a significant decrease from the early days of the NBA, when white players made up the majority of the league.

The Percentage of White NBA Players

In recent years, the percentage of white players in the NBA has been declining. In the 1980s, white players made up approximately 20 percent of the league. By 2010, that number had fallen to 10 percent. In 2020, it is estimated that only 5 percent of NBA players are white.

There are a number of reasons for this trend. First, basketball has become increasingly popular in countries outside the United States, where the player pool is mostly black or Latino. Second, the NBA has been working to increase diversity in its ranks and specifically to recruit more black and Latino players. As a result, the percentage of black and Latino players in the league has risen steadily in recent years.

The Percentage of Black NBA Players

As of the 2017-2018 season, the NBA is comprised of 74.4% black players, 23.3% white players, 1.8% Latino players, and 0.5% Asian players.

This percentage has held relatively steady since the early 2000s. In 2001, 78% of NBA players were black, while only 20% were white and 2% were Latino.

The percentage of black players in the league has decreased slightly since then, while the percentage of white and Latino players has increased slightly.

The most notable increase has been among Latino players, whose percentages have nearly doubled since 2001.

The Percentage of Latino NBA Players

In recent years, the number of Latino players in the NBA has increased significantly. In the 2015-2016 season, Latinos made up 11.4 percent of the league, which is nearly double the percentage of Latino players just two decades ago. The increase in Latino players has been driven largely by the growth of basketball in Latin America, as well as a change in the way that NBA teams scout and recruit international players.

The majority of Latino NBA players are from the Caribbean and South America, with Players from Puerto Rico, Brazil, and the Dominican Republic making up a significant portion of the Latino population in the league. Cuban players have also been increasingly present in the NBA in recent years. While most Latino players enter the league as young adults, a few have come to the NBA after successful careers playing professionally in Europe or South America.

Despite the increase in Latino players, Whites still make up the largest percentage of NBA players at nearly 70 percent. African Americans are second overall at about 23 percent, followed by Latinos at 11 percent. Asians and other ethnic groups make up less than one percent of NBA players.

The Percentage of Asian NBA Players

As of the 2019-2020 NBA season, there are 382 active NBA players. Of those 382 players, 101 are white,127 are black, 47 are Latino, 7 are Asian, and 1 is listed as “international.”

Since the inception of the NBA in 1946, there have been a total of 4,526 NBA players. Of those 4,526 players, 1,097 are white, 1,813 are black, 526 are Latino, 77 are Asian and 3 are listed as “international.”

In other words, 24.3 percent of all NBA players in history have been white while 40.1 percent have been black. Latinos make up only 11.7 percent of the total while Asians sit at just 1.7 percent.

Conclusion

To conclude, although the percentages of white players in the NBA has fluctuated over the years, it has generally hovered around 20%. This means that for every 5 players on an NBA team, 1 of them is likely to be white.