A Look at Where NBA Players Come From

In this blog post, we take a look at where NBA players come from, both in terms of geography and college basketball.

Introduction

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The NBA is widely considered to be the premier men’s professional basketball league in the world. It is an active member of USA Basketball (USAB), which is recognized by FIBA (also known as the International Basketball Federation) as the national governing body for basketball in the United States.

The NBA was founded in 1946 as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). The league adopted its current name at the start of the 1949–50 season when it merged with the National Basketball League (NBL).

The league consists of 30 teams, 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. With an average attendance of over 17,000 people per game, the NBA has the highest average attendance of any professional sports league globally.

In this article, we will take a look at where NBA players come from. We will examine which countries and continents are represented in the league, and what percentage of players come from each area.

High School

In recent years, the NBA has seen a influx of players coming from all over the world. However, the vast majority of players still come from the United States, with nearly 70% of players hailing from America.

Of those American players, the vast majority come from just a few states. California, Texas, and Florida have produced the most NBA players by far, with each state accounting for over 50 NBA players each. New York and Illinois are also significant contributors to the NBA, with around 40 players each.

While high school basketball is still a significant pipeline to the NBA, an increasing number of players are choosing to bypass college altogether and go directly to the NBA. In 2018, a record number of one-and-done players entered the draft, accounting for nearly 40% of all draftees. The trend looks likely to continue, as more and more young players look to make the jump to the professional ranks.

One and Done

Since the NBA instituted the one and done rule in 2006, requiring players to be at least 19 years old, the league has seen a dramatic increase in international players. In 2020, nearly 30% of NBA players were born outside the United States.

The one and done rule was intended to prevent players from declaring for the NBA draft straight out of high school. The thinking was that players who had to spend at least one year in college would be more mature and better prepared for the rigors of the NBA.

However, the rule has had unintended consequences. Many of the best high school players now go to college for just one year before declaring for the draft. And many of them don’t even bother going to college at all, instead choosing to play professional basketball in Europe or elsewhere.

The result is that the pool of American talent entering the NBA each year is smaller than it would be if the one and done rule didn’t exist. And as international players have become more common in the league, American player development has fallen behind.

There have been calls to change the one and done rule, but so far nothing has happened. It remains to be seen whether anything will change in the future, but for now, it seems likely that the NBA will continue to get more and more international talent.

G-League

In the 2018-2019 season, there were a total of 443 NBA players. Of those 443 players, 47 played in the NBA G-League at some point that season. The G-League is the NBA’s official minor league, and it is a great place for players to develop their skills and show what they can do against professional competition.

Of the 47 G-League players who were on an NBA roster at some point during the 2018-2019 season, 31 were drafted by an NBA team and 16 were signed as free agents. The G-League has become a more popular option for undrafted players in recent years, as it provides them with an opportunity to show what they can do against professional competition and potentially earn an NBA contract.

The 31 G-League players who were drafted by an NBA team in 2018-2019 came from a variety of colleges and universities. There were 14 players from high school, 13 players from NCAA Division I schools, three players from NCAA Division II schools, and one player each from NCAA Division III, NAIA, and junior college.

High schoolers have become less common in the NBA in recent years, but the G-League has provided them with an opportunity to continue their development and potentially earn an NBA contract. In the 2018-2019 season, there were 14 high schoolers who played in the G-League and six of them ended up on an NBA roster at some point during the season.

Players who come from small colleges or non-traditional basketball powers have also found success in the G-League. In the 2018-2019 season, there was one player each from NCAA Division III (Ashland University), NAIA (William Carey University), and junior college (Odessa College). All three of these players ended up on an NBA roster at some point during the season.

The G-League has provided players from all types of backgrounds with an opportunity to develop their skills and earn an NBA contract. In the 2018-2019 season, there were 47 players who played in the G-League at some point and 31 of them ended up on an NBA roster.

International

While players from the United States have always made up the majority of NBA rosters, over the past few decades there has been a significant increase in the number of international players in the league. In fact, as of the 2017-2018 season, nearly one-quarter of all NBA players were born outside of the US.

This trend can be traced back to 1989, when 7% of NBA players were international. This number began to rise in the 1990s with an influx of European players like Vlade Divac ( Yugoslavia), Toni Kukoč (Croatia), and Arvydas Sabonis (Lithuania). The trend continued in the 2000s with African players like Dikembe Mutombo (Democratic Republic of Congo) and Hakeem Olajuwon (Nigeria). In recent years, South American and Asian players have also begun to make an impact, with stars like Argentina’s Manu Ginóbili and China’s Yao Ming leading the way.

With such a diverse group of stars, it’s no wonder that basketball is one of the most popular sports in the world.

Conclusion

After looking at the data, it is evident that there are a few clear patterns in terms of where NBA players come from. The vast majority of players come from the United States, with a small but notable contingent coming from Canada. There is also a significant number of players who come from African countries, particularly Senegal and Nigeria.