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Nearly half of NBA players related to 'elite' athlete

Study: Nearly half of NBA players related to elite athletes

Nearly half of active NBA players have at least one other elite athlete in their family, according to a new study by The Wall Street Journal.
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Nearly half of active NBA players have at least one other elite athlete in their family, according to a new study by TheWall Street Journal.

An analysis of biographical player data found that 48.8% of NBA players are related to current or former elite athletes, with “elite” including anyone who has played a sport at the professional, NCAA or international levels.

As a point of comparison, only 17.5% of NFL players and 14.5% of MLB players fit the criteria.

The study made a connection between NBA genetics and the shared quality of height — the average NBA player is around 6'6", 11 inches taller than the average American.

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