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With the NBA finals beginning in the next few weeks, new research has revealed the states most likely to produce a professional basketball player, with Mississippi taking the top spot.
Sports betting experts at RG analyzed the birthplaces of all players who debuted in the ABA or NBA since 1949. They found the total number of players born in each US state and compared these figures to each state’s population to reveal which states have produced the most professional basketball players per 1,000,000 citizens.
The National Basketball Association (NBA) was founded in 1949, and the American Basketball Association (ABA) was later founded in 1967. In 1976, the associations merged to form the NBA we know today.
Mississippi takes the top spot, with 31.60 ABA and NBA players per 1,000,000 citizens. There have been 93 overall, including Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf and Earl Barron. Players from the state have also had 23 All-Star appearances, equal to 7.82 per 1,000,000 citizens.
Louisiana ranks second, with 28.06 professional basketball players per 1,000,000 residents. The state has also produced 117 All-Star players, including Karl Malone and De’Aaron Fox.
Kentucky places third, with 26.37 ABA and NBA players per 1,000,000 people, including Derek Anderson and Greg Buckner. There have also been 50 All-Star players from Kentucky, which is equal to 10.90 per 1,000,000 people.
Indiana is next, with 25.27 players per 1,000,000 citizens. The state is also home to 58 All-Star players, including Larry Bird and Gordon Hayward.
Illinois comes fifth, with 24.23 professional basketball players per 1,000,000 people. The state has also produced 130 All-Star players, equal to 10.23 per 1,000,000 people.
New York is next, with 22.25 ABA and NBA players per 1,000,000 residents. Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are among the most notable players from the state.
Pennsylvania is seventh, with 19.27 players per 1,000,000 people, including Kobe Bryant and Wilt Chamberlain.
Arkansas ranks eighth, with 19.10 ABA and NBA players per 1,000,000 citizens. The state is home to Scottie Pippen and Joe Johnson.
Alabama is in ninth place, with 19.00 professional basketball players per 1,000,000 people, including Ben Wallace and Charles Barkley.
Ohio rounds out the top ten, with 17.67 players per 1,000,000 residents. Some of the best players from the state include LeBron James and Stephen Curry.
On the other hand, the state least likely to produce a professional basketball player is New Hampshire, with just 0.71 players per 1,000,000 citizens. Closely following are Hawaii and Maine, at 1.38 and 1.42 players per 1,000,000 citizens, respectively.
Paruyr Shahbazyan, founder of RG, has commented,
“It is interesting to see which states have produced the most basketball talent over the years, especially with so many southern states in the ranking.
“The presence of states like New York and Pennsylvania is expected, with their teams among the most popular in the NBA. However, Mississippi at the top of the ranking may come as a surprise to some, especially considering the state doesn’t actually have its own NBA team. Arkansas and Alabama also don’t have their own NBA teams, but it is clear that this doesn’t stop athletes born in these states from reaching their goals.
“This research goes to show that basketball talent can come from anywhere in the US, and hopefully this will inspire young athletes to aim high, no matter where they are from.”
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