Main content

NBA basketball: Is height more important than skill?

How much does a man’s height affect his chances of becoming a professional basketball player in the NBA? Tim Harford talks to Seth Stephens-Davidowitz to slam dunk the numbers.

In the NBA, the US professional basketball league, the average player is a shade over 6ft 6 inches tall. So just how much does being very tall increase a man’s chances of becoming a professional player?

Tim Harford talks to data scientist Seth Stephens-Davidowitz, author of Who Makes the NBA?: Data-Driven Answers to Basketball’s Biggest Questions.

Presenter: Tim Harford
Producer: Debbie Richford
Production Co-ordinator: Katie Morrison
Series Producer: Tom Colls
Sound Mix: David Crackles
Editor: Richard Vadon

(Image: Charlotte Hornets v New York Knicks. Credit: Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

Available now

9 minutes

Last on

Mon 26 Feb 2024 00:50GMT
BBC World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa

More episodes

Previous

The digital ‘robots’ unlocking medical data

Next

Ultramarathons: Are women faster than men?

See all episodes from More or Less

Broadcasts

  • Sat 24 Feb 2024 05:50GMT
    BBC World Service except East and Southern Africa, Europe and the Middle East & West and Central Africa
  • Sat 24 Feb 2024 11:50GMT
    BBC World Service East and Southern Africa & Europe and the Middle East only
  • Sat 24 Feb 2024 16:50GMT
    BBC World Service News Internet
  • Sun 25 Feb 2024 09:50GMT
    BBC World Service West and Central Africa
  • Sun 25 Feb 2024 11:50GMT
    BBC World Service except East and Southern Africa, Europe and the Middle East & West and Central Africa
  • Sun 25 Feb 2024 22:50GMT
    BBC World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
  • Mon 26 Feb 2024 00:50GMT
    BBC World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa

Download this programme

Subscribe to this programme or download individual episodes.