Statistics are at the heart of every sport — from the most basic form of win-loss records to a player’s individual number of goals or touchdowns. The analytical movement shot to popularity through the publication of Michael Lewis’ book “Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game,” as well as Bill James’ sabermetrics method, or the statistical analysis of baseball records to determine player performance, in the 1980s.
The movement became more popular with stats-driven organizations like the early 2000s Phoenix Suns and the 2010s Golden State Warriors. Stats help reveal the best players and teams. While critics may argue that statistics are often overused by analysts or fans, they are undeniably crucial to sports today.
However, a player’s ability isn’t only revealed by statistics. Their strong leadership and perseverance are characteristics that cannot be defined by numbers.
Though players’ performances cannot be solely defined by statistics, numbers are still the best way to judge players and teams. There’s a reason every NBA team has an analytics team that tracks data from its games to get a competitive advantage.
For example, almost every argument made during a Michael Jordan versus LeBron James debate involves statistics, whether that is Jordan averaging the most points per game in NBA history or James being the only person ever in the top 10 of both points and assists.
“The beauty of statistics is that there is no wrong answer”
Statistics are not overused because they make up the most concrete evidence out there that can be used for debates. Numerous blogs and websites have been created just for statistical analysis, such as Pro Football Focus, B-Ball Index or FanGraphs, and are a necessary source for fans and analysts alike.
In fact, statistics go further than the game. Sports betting has been on a meteoric rise since the federal ban was removed in 2018 and nearly all forms of betting involve numbers, such as the odds of a team winning, the odds of a player hitting a point total or which team will win the coin toss. Without statistics, the global $200 billion sports betting industry would cease to exist.
Although it is true that certain statistics, such as points per game or All-Star selections, can be misleading without context, viewers and analysts usually don’t cite only basic box-score numbers. Rather, the data paints a picture about a team’s style of play and capability.
Appreciating the talent and dedication of athletes is crucial, but it is also necessary to compare them to their peers. Everyone knows that even an average professional basketball player would destroy a normal hooper at the park. Professional athletes go up against the best players in the country or the world.
The beauty of statistics is that there is no wrong answer. Statistics have been a part of sports since the beginning and they will be part of sports until the end of time.
