Chart: Facts and figures on race, players and the NBA
October 27, 2012 at 9:16PM
Race and players
• Black players have made up at least 75 percent of NBA roster spots every season since 1991-92.
• American-born white players are fighting extinction, their numbers reduced from 85 during the 1990-91 season to 48 in 2005-06. Only nine were regular starters last season.
International players
• On the other hand, the number of international players increased from 21 in 1990-91 to 82 in 2005-06; the international count has not topped that figure since.
Quote
• NBA Hall of Famer Tommy Heinsohn, broadcasting a Jazz-Celtics game in the mid-1980s when there were 10 white players on the floor late in the game: "You'll probably never see this again."
about the writer
The “sticky” ball that coach Chris Finch so deplores showed up for the first game, after a preseason when offense happened smoothly. On defense, “resistance” was missing, the coach said.
