The Skeptics Society & Skeptic magazine


EPISODE # 403

Seth Stephens-Davidowitz — What Determines Who Succeeds in the NBA?

Who Makes the NBA?: Data-Driven Answers to Basketball's Biggest Questions (book cover)

Former Google data scientist and bestselling author of Everybody Lies Seth Stephens-Davidowitz turns his analytic skills to the NBA.

Seth Stephens-Davidowitz is a contributing op-ed writer for the New York Times, a lecturer at The Wharton School, and a former Google data scientist. He received a BA from Stanford and a PhD from Harvard. He is the author of Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are and Don’t Trust Your Gut: Using Data to Get What You Really Want in Life.

Shermer and Stephens-Davidowitz discuss:

  • how he used AI to help write this book
  • players systematically undervalued in the draft
  • Are clutch shooters born or made?
  • the percent of 7-footers in the NBA
  • why tall NBA players are worse athletes than short NBA players
  • the greatest NBA players adjusted for height
  • names as proxies for success (or not)
  • why some countries produce so many more NBA players than others
  • who would be the best NBA player of all time if every player were the same height
  • What percent genetic is basketball talent? And how does this compare to other sports?
  • What advantages do NBA player fathers pass on to their sons?
  • How much do NBA coaches matter and what do they do?
  • Will any time win 11 NBA titles like Bill Russell’s Celtics did?
  • why no one hits .400 in baseball any more
  • Six sigma in sports and life
  • nature/nurture in sports and life
  • In a population of 8 billion today compared to centuries past, where are all the Mozarts, Beethovens, Da Vincis, Newtons, Darwins, etc.?
  • the Moneyball revolution in sports
  • how to apply the moneyball system in life
  • What makes people happy?
  • How much do good looks matter?
  • How much does height and competent faces influence elections?

If you enjoy the podcast, please show your support by making a $5 or $10 monthly donation.

This episode was released on February 6, 2024.

Skeptic Magazine App on iPhone

SKEPTIC App

Whether at home or on the go, the SKEPTIC App is the easiest way to read your favorite articles. Within the app, users can purchase the current issue and back issues. Download the app today and get a 30-day free trial subscription.

Download the Skeptic Magazine App for iOS, available on the App Store
Download the Skeptic Magazine App for Android, available on Google Play
SKEPTIC • 3938 State St., Suite 101, Santa Barbara, CA, 93105-3114 • 1-805-576-9396 • Copyright © 1992–2024. All rights reserved • Privacy Policy