Why are white players only compared with white players?

[Joyner82reload]

That is when scouted prior to entering the league or during their first few years based on evaluation of potential. Even furthermore, a secondary standard applies when foreign white players are only compared with other foreign white players.

I.E. A white player from europe would always be compared to Peja over Reggie Miller, assuming he had a skillset similar to the two, even if his player was more similar to Miller on the court.

This doesn't happen in other sports

[CavaliersFTW]

Jerry West isn't compared to only other white players, neither is Bill Walton, Larry Bird, etc. So...

[Marchesk]

Detlef Shrempf is a poor man's Dirk Nowitzki.

[andremiller07]

Chris Webber just today called Dirk a 7 foot Reggie Miller

[Joyner82reload]

Jerry West isn't compared to only other white players, neither is Bill Walton, Larry Bird, etc. So...

Read the OP again. I'm talking about a developing player or a potential future player, not a HOFer. Therefore I'm talking about a player in high school, college, or in their first few years in the league.

[Marchesk]

Chris Webber just today called Dirk a 7 foot Reggie Miller

Dirk is several tiers above Reggie. He's going to be in conversation for top 10 when he's done. It's a very crowded top 10, though.

[goldcrow]

Chris Webber just today called Dirk a 7 foot Reggie Miller

7 foot Reggie Miller with a ring. Oh wait Webber also doesn't have a ring, while KG, Duncan, Dirk, Sheed all have.

[CavaliersFTW]

Read the OP again. I'm talking about a developing player or a potential future player, not a HOFer. Therefore I'm talking about a player in high school, college, or in their first few years in the league.

Are you sure your OP is a valid observation, and not just an assumption based off a few isolated examples? I can't really comment on this because I have not read scouting reports on a wide variety of developing white players.

[Joyner82reload]

Are you sure your OP is a valid observation, and not just an assumption based off a few isolated examples? I can't really comment on this because I have not read scouting reports on a wide variety of developing white players.

The league is 81% black, 11% white, 6% latino, 2% other. 87% of the starters in the NBA are black, which are generally what upcoming prospects are compared to, that is starting players. The comparisons are flat out racist.

[Sarcastic]

Because they're white

[NZStreetBaller]

larry bird got compared to magic johnson all the time.......

[CavaliersFTW]

Maybe it's just because people tend to group similar things. Regardless of skill and abilities on the floor, at first glance, a white player probably always initially resembles some other white player a scout has seen before before he would resemble a black player. Could just be as simple as that.

[Joyner82reload]

Maybe it's just because people tend to group similar things. Regardless of skill and abilities on the floor, at first glance, a white player probably always initially resembles some other white player a scout has seen before before he would resemble a black player. Could just be as simple as that.

Then why does this principle only apply to the NBA? Less than 7% of NBA players are foreign born, yet almost every foreign prospect is compared to one of these players, while over 4/5's of the league are disregarded in these comparisons. These racially motivated comparisons do not apply in other professional sports.

[Prometheus]

Then why does this principle only apply to the NBA? Less than 7% of NBA players are foreign born, yet almost every foreign prospect is compared to one of these players, while over 4/5's of the league are disregarded in these comparisons. These racially motivated comparisons do not apply in other professional sports.

Compared with football and hockey, the difference is obviously the physical exposure of the individuals' faces and bodies. Football and hockey players are covered up, so you won't make the subconscious associations that end up being racist.

Baseball is a much, much simpler game, and so it's easier to compare players based on batting average, ERA, or whatever. Plus MLB has been integrated for longer, and has a much better balance of black/white.

[SpanishACB]

These racially motivated comparisons do not apply in other professional sports.

It happens everywhere, it's not a NBA thing. It's a society thing.