What percentage of the NBA is white?
According to racial equality activist Richard Lapchick, the NBA in 2021 was composed of 73.2 percent black players, 16.8 percent white players, 3.1 percent Latino players of any race, and 0.4 percent Asian players.
Share of NBA players 2010-2023, by ethnicity
In 2023, approximately 70.4 percent of NBA players were African American. Meanwhile, ethnically white players constituted a 17.5 percent share of all NBA players that year.
In the 2022-23 season, 82.5% of players were people of color, a slight decrease of 0.1 percentage points; 70.4% of all NBA players were African American (a decrease of 1.5 percentage points). The percentage of white NBA players was 17.5%, a slight increase of 0.1 percentage point.
Juan Ronel Toscano-Anderson (born April 10, 1993) is a Mexican-American professional basketball player for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Marquette Golden Eagles. He won an NBA championship with the Golden State Warriors in 2022.
In 2022, just over 70 percent of players in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) were black or African American. Meanwhile, just two percent of players in the league identified as Asian.
Earl Francis Lloyd (April 3, 1928 – February 26, 2015) was an American professional basketball player and coach. He was the first African American player to play a game in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Alexandria, Virginia, U.S. Crossville, Tennessee, U.S.
According to racial equality activist Richard Lapchick, the NBA in 2021 was composed of 73.2 percent black players, 16.8 percent white players, 3.1 percent Latino players of any race, and 0.4 percent Asian players.
International players in the NBA are classified as those born outside of the United States, as well as players born in U.S. overseas territories. In 2020, 21.8 percent of NBA players came were classed as international players.
| Country/Territory | No. of Players | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sudan | 1 | |
| Tanzania | 1 | |
| Tunisia | 1 | |
| Africa | 83 | Including 30 foreign or U.S.-born naturalized players |
Is there a Mexican NBA player?
A. As of 2023, there are two Mexican players in the NBA - Gustavo Ayón and Juan Toscano-Anderson.
Mexico City is home to the G League's Capitanes de Ciudad de Mexico, the first NBA-affiliated team based in Latin America. Though the commissioner was coy on specifics, he once again mentioned the league's interest to have an NBA franchise based in Mexico.
Alan Chazaro details the former Suns Center's winding path to the NBA – although he never became a superstar, his journey and cultural impact remain an inspiration to Mexican fans.
Of the big four professional sports leagues in North America, the NFL and the NBA have the highest percentage of African American players. In 2023, 70.4 percent of NBA players were African American, as well as half of the head coaches within the league.
Black Women in Basketball: Lynette Woodard and Cheryl Miller
Around the same time, Cheryl Miller became one of the most decorated high school and collegiate women's basketball players in history, leading the U.S. team to a gold medal in the 1984 Olympics.
Dunking in women's play
Sylvia Fowles is one of seven players to dunk during a WNBA game. Dunking is much less common in women's basketball than in men's play.
In 1963, the 1932-33 Rens squad was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame. Several individual players, along with Douglas, would enter the Hall in later years. Today there are no Black majority owners in any of the four major North American professional leagues.
The NBA is a 70-year-old organization born from innovation. It was June 1946 in New York City when Boston Garden owner Walter Brown realized that major ice hockey arenas, which were vacant most nights, could be used to host basketball games.
Wataru “Wat” Misaka was the first non-white athlete to play professional basketball.
Jackson, Mississippi has the highest percentage of African Americans among cities in the United States, accounting for more than 80% of the city's population. It is often referred to as the blackest city in America.
What is the blackest state?
States with the Highest Black Population
Texas has the highest Black population in the United States of 3,936,669, about 14% of Texas's total population. Texas is the second-most diverse state in the U.S. Following Texas is Florida with 3,867,495 (18%), New York with 3,763,977 (19%), and Georgia with 3,549,349 (34%).
Players in the NFL in 2022, by ethnicity
In 2022, the greatest share of players by ethnic group in the National Football League (NFL) were black or African American athletes, constituting just over 56 percent of players within the NFL.
Notable NBA Players With Mulatto Descent: 🏀 Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors) 🏀 Klay Thompson (Golden State Warriors) 🏀 Trae Young (Atlanta Hawks)
There are now seven Black minority owners in the NFL with Johnson's part in the Commanders ownership group. This comes despite more than 50 percent of the league's players identifying as Black or African American and more than 70 percent of the league identifying as a person of color in 2022, per Statista.com.
- From North America: Canada — 57 players.
- From European countries: France — 40 players, Serbia — 30 players.
- From Oceania: Australia — 30 players, New Zealand — 3 players.
- From African countries: Nigeria- — 29 players, Senegal — 12 players.
