Race and ethnicity in the NBA

The composition of race and ethnicity in the National Basketball Association (NBA) has changed throughout the league's history. The first non-white player to play in the league was an Asian American, Wat Misaka, in 1947. African Americans entered the league beginning in 1950. According to racial equality activist Richard Lapchick, the NBA in 2020 was composed of 74.2 percent black players, 16.9 percent white players, 2.2 percent Latino players of any race, and 0.4 percent Asian players. There were 6.3 percent of the players classified as "other" races. The league has the highest percentage of black players of any major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada.

Race and ethnicity in the NBA

The composition of race and ethnicity in the National Basketball Association (NBA) has changed throughout the league's history. The first non-white player to play in the league was an Asian American, Wat Misaka, in 1947. African Americans entered the league beginning in 1950. According to racial equality activist Richard Lapchick, the NBA in 2020 was composed of 74.2 percent black players, 16.9 percent white players, 2.2 percent Latino players of any race, and 0.4 percent Asian players. There were 6.3 percent of the players classified as "other" races. The league has the highest percentage of black players of any major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada.