What Happened to the White American NBA Star?

EPISODE 80: An endangered species.

Our guest today was, himself, a would-be savior. A Great White Hope, at 6-foot-4, with a 40-inch vertical leap (!), who got drafted by the Charlotte Hornets out of the storied University of Kentucky, No. 8 overall.

The reason why Rex Chapman didn’t become the next white American NBA star is a deeply personal story, of course. About not just expectations but addiction, all of it chronicled in Rex’s new book, which you should go check out.

But our story today is about an attempt to understand an even bigger picture.

It’s about how, once upon a time, white America did not have to be this thirsty for basketball representation. In 1957, for instance, 93% (!) of the NBA was white. But over time, that percentage plummeted. And plummeted. All the way down to less than 18% last year.

There’s no more comically obvious place where our country’s majority feels more like a minority than the modern NBA.

Because let’s be honest: as you watch March Madness this week, you’re gonna see a whole bunch of homegrown white dudes playing basketball. And some of them are pretty good. But none of them are projected to be NBA stars.

Not like Rex Chapman was.

Or Dirk Nowitzki was. Or Luka Doncic was. Or Nikola Jokic turned out to be. Or the procession of other white players from overseas who are now putting America’s to shame.

In fact, it’s been a decade since a white American — Kevin Love — simply got named to an All-NBA team, designating him one of the 15 best players in the sport. Which made me wonder who the best one even is, right now.

And what it all means.

DKN/YOUTUBE SPOILER ALERT:

See you Tuesday,

Pablo