semi-OT: Is basketball the sport where skills and talent are most likely to be transmitted?

[schnakenpopanz]

Sorry if my english is not good enough. But in my personal opinion Basketball and football (soccer) seem to be the sports where most likely the skills are inherited to the children. It is not a data driven analysis, just a gut feeling.

Is it different in Baseball? Hockey? Athletics? other olympic sports.

[Smash3]

In any sport where physical traits are king, you will have a big advantage if your parents hit the genetic lotto. However all though 80% might be physical traits the remaining 20% is skill so you make it into a league of only 450 players in the world.

[UcanUwill]

Thats a good question, but I really have no idea. Tho I don't know skills can be transmitted, talent can, but skills is just something you have to learn no matter what. Talent like coordination can help you be better at learning skills, so maybe thats what you mean,

A lot of different sports have generations of same family being very good at a sport, its both genetics and just being thought that sport from young age. I do not think Basektball is any better at that particular thing.

Maybe it is better in a sense you usually need to be taller to play basketball, and if your parent was pro baskebtall player, that probably means your parent was tall, meaning it is likely you will be tall. Like, it definitely helped Domantas Sabonis that his pops was 7'3... But now, more and more people are over 6 feet, and at that height you can be basketball player now, it is no longer such gate keeped sport.

[UcanUwill]

In any sport where physical traits are king, you will have a big advantage if your parents hit the genetic lotto. However all though 80% might be physical traits the remaining 20% is skill so you make it into a league of only 450 players in the world.

Basketball is very skill based sport, so I think it is definitely more than 20% that is skill. Of course if you are 7'1 and fast on your feet, you might not need to be very skilled to be even NBA level player, like Gobert or McGee, but still, IDK. Basketball is global sport and there are just hundreds of PRO leagues outside of the NBA with thousands of players, and not like eveyrone there is just athletic loser. Lots of players outside of the NBA are very athletic, but they aren't skilled enough or lack other mental ability, like mental quickness and ability to read the game at faster level.

I mean, some players not in the NBA, can play in the NBA, they are not in the NBA for other reasons, but overall, NBA requires a huge amount of skill that most basketball players do in fact lack.

[schnakenpopanz]

the most famous father-son combo in terms of skill might be dell curry and steph curry. dell curry was one of the best shooters of his generation. beside passing physical skills it might be an advantage to pass knowledge and methods.

[UcanUwill]

the most famous father-son combo in terms of skill might be dell curry and steph curry. dell curry was one of the best shooters of his generation. beside passing physical skills it might be an advantage to pass knowledge and methods.

Thats a good shout out, tho I have no doubt something genetic still helped Dell and his sons to be such great shooters. Not every person can be such a good shooter no matter how much high level practice and knowledge he will receive, even from very young age. It bothers me when some fans complain that guy X does not improve as shooter, ''why he does not practice that corner 3 every day''. For all we know, guy could practice that shot every day, but some humans just can learn stuff and some can't. It is the same thing like with math, one kid can be very good at it right away, and the other wont.

[Wingy]

Not a fact, but anecdotally, I don’t think it’s specific to b-ball/futbol.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_professional_sports_families

A long list containing most off the ones I knew off the top of my head. Misses some I know of -

Baseball
Vlad Guerrero (Hall of Fame)
Craig Biggio (Hall of Fame)
- Both have “Jr.” sons. Vlad Jr is a 4x all star, Craig is a journeyman

Basketball
Javale Mcgee - mom Pam was a WNBA baller
Zach Lavine - dad played NFL

NFL
Deion Sanders - son Shedeur will be a rookie
Gronkowskis - dad played college football

Anyway, google “[sport] multi-generational players”…there’s a ton

[bkkrh]

I think Basketball is the most extreme example here. Simply based on the benefit of a certain height and gereral athleticisim. Additionally the benefit will of course be in all professional sports that you have a parent that knows what it takes to become a pro and can prepare you for that from day one. He will know the most effective practice drills, what skills to focus on, has connections and the budget to provide with the right trainers and you might get to know pros that might be future trainers/scouts/recruiters on colleges and professional teams at an age where the average kid can consider himself happy if there is something like a decent youth team or Basketball camp in their area.

[shotsquatch]

Basketball requires an unusual combination of outlier height combined with athleticism. Because height is highly heritable, I think it's fair to say basketball talent "runs in the family" more than other sports.

[sashaturiaf]

You know that ol saying "you can't teach height"


Yeah basketball is the most inheritable of all sports.

[FrodoBaggins]

Early childhood exposure, when the body and its functions are more malleable, is certainly an environmental factor. But it's not exclusive to basketball. As others have said, the unique anthropometry requirements are more of a determinant exclusive to the sport. Height is estimated to be between 60% and 80% hereditary.

[dhsilv2]

Sorry if my english is not good enough. But in my personal opinion Basketball and football (soccer) seem to be the sports where most likely the skills are inherited to the children. It is not a data driven analysis, just a gut feeling.

Is it different in Baseball? Hockey? Athletics? other olympic sports.

I mean things like weight lifting or sprinting are just completely raw talent + training. There's no "extra" what so ever. So clearly those types of sports will just straight up be genetics and just enough interest/effort.

Sports with teammates and more complex strategies will rely on a greater number of factors.

[dhsilv2]

But now, more and more people are over 6 feet, and at that height you can be basketball player now, it is no longer such gate keeped sport.

6 foot is still like 15% of the world's population and it's insanely hard to make the league at that height...6'6 is less than 1% of the population and that's the average.

[sikma42]

Thats part of it. The other part is the knowledge that is handed down, which is the biggest separator. Most kids have little idea how to practice or train in a why that's applicable to games and long term success. NBA players (college players) often have a very good understanding of this.

[UcanUwill]

But now, more and more people are over 6 feet, and at that height you can be basketball player now, it is no longer such gate keeped sport.

6 foot is still like 15% of the world's population and it's insanely hard to make the league at that height...6'6 is less than 1% of the population and that's the average.

I am very surprised by those numbers honestly. But NBA especially known for exaggerating heights of those players, most of those 6'6 guys are in reality 6'4. All these guys insist in being listed in shoes, because they play in shoes. I have never thought of listing my height in shoes, thats non sensical, shoes is not part of my body.

[dhsilv2]

But now, more and more people are over 6 feet, and at that height you can be basketball player now, it is no longer such gate keeped sport.

6 foot is still like 15% of the world's population and it's insanely hard to make the league at that height...6'6 is less than 1% of the population and that's the average.

I am very surprised by those numbers honestly.

Just for more context. The Neatherlands is the tallest country in the world. 6'6 there is still 1.1% of the population. The NBA average height is 6'6-6'7.

6'7 is 0.418% of their population.

[Nate505]

I'm sure some of the skill is genetic, but what gives sons of players the bigger advantage is that they usually have both the resources and the knowledge to train their sons well.

Not that I had any skill with basketball, because I didn't, but even if there were untapped potential there I would have never known how to unlock it given I was raised by my "who gives a **** about sports" mother.

[UcanUwill]

6 foot is still like 15% of the world's population and it's insanely hard to make the league at that height...6'6 is less than 1% of the population and that's the average.

I am very surprised by those numbers honestly.

Just for more context. The Neatherlands is the tallest country in the world. 6'6 there is still 1.1% of the population. The NBA average height is 6'6-6'7.

6'7 is 0.418% of their population.

I updated my post saying that all these basketball players, especially in the NBA, exaggerate the heights. If you are 6'4, which is not uncommon around here, I bet you will see eye to eye with most of these ''6'6'' NBA players.

Basketball in these last 20 years kinda moved a little bit away from height and more into skill, now being 7 footer is often a disadvantage and it is easier to get in even if you less tall. 20 years ago 6'5 SG was undersized, 6'6 was the height for a shooting guard, now if you good enough, you can be power forward at 6'6, so it is less gate keeped sport.

But you have a point that it is still gate keeped sport for a big part of the population. Tho I wonder how accurate those online height statistics are, because where are all these short people at, at 5'9, I am shorter than most people I see, especially men, but also the woman. Most people I see in streets, I do not think they couldn't play basketball cause they are too short. I just saw my cousins 17 year old daughter for the first time in 10 years maybe, she is like 6'+ now, statistics tell me I am not short, but I aint feel that is accurate at all. I wonder were they get statistics from, because I remember there was a person who collected all this information, how tall our family were, do we believe in god even, but last thing that happen was probably in the 90s. Maybe they use medical records and it is somewhat accurate, IDK.

[dhsilv2]

I am very surprised by those numbers honestly.

Just for more context. The Neatherlands is the tallest country in the world. 6'6 there is still 1.1% of the population. The NBA average height is 6'6-6'7.

6'7 is 0.418% of their population.

I updated my post saying that all these basketball players, especially in the NBA, exaggerate the heights. If you are 6'4, which is not uncommon around here, I bet you will see eye to eye with most of these ''6'6'' NBA players.

Basketball in these last 20 years kinda moved a little bit away from height and more into skill, now being 7 footer is often a disadvantage and it is easier to get in even if you less tall. 20 years ago 6'5 SG was undersized, 6'6 was the height for a shooting guard, now if you good enough, you can be power forward at 6'6, so it is less gate keeped sport.

But you have a point that it is still gate keeped sport for a big part of the population. Tho I wonder how accurate those online height statistics are, because where are all these short people at, at 5'9, I am shorter than most people I see, especially men, but also the woman. Most people I see in streets, I do not think they couldn't play basketball cause they are too short. I just saw my cousins 17 year old daughter for the first time in 10 years maybe, she is like 6'+ now, statistics tell me I am not short, but I aint feel that is accurate at all. I wonder were they get statistics from, because I remember there was a person who collected all this information, how tall our family were, do we believe in god even, but last thing that happen was probably in the 90s. Maybe they use medical records and it is somewhat accurate, IDK.

Average height in the league really hasn't moved. Just less really tall guys but also way less guys at the lower end. And again even if we go back to the tallest country in the world....6'4 is just 5.4% of the population. That's still really limited.

In the US 6'4 is 1.1% of the population and the league is still a majority US players.

[HotelVitale]

I am very surprised by those numbers honestly.

Just for more context. The Neatherlands is the tallest country in the world. 6'6 there is still 1.1% of the population. The NBA average height is 6'6-6'7.

6'7 is 0.418% of their population.

I updated my post saying that all these basketball players, especially in the NBA, exaggerate the heights. If you are 6'4, which is not uncommon around here, I bet you will see eye to eye with most of these ''6'6'' NBA players.

Basketball in these last 20 years kinda moved a little bit away from height and more into skill, now being 7 footer is often a disadvantage and it is easier to get in even if you less tall. 20 years ago 6'5 SG was undersized, 6'6 was the height for a shooting guard, now if you good enough, you can be power forward at 6'6, so it is less gate keeped sport..

double post