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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)

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9 minutes

Last on

Mon 26 Feb 2024 00:50GMT

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  • Sat 24 Feb 2024 05:50GMT
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  • Mon 26 Feb 2024 00:50GMT

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