The results of the statistical data analysis appeared to be quite informative and worth of attention. It has appeared that salary has certain variations from player to player, but there is no strong correlation between some variables and salary that would lead to the conclusion that salary discrimination is present. Basketball players have numerous parameters to consider assessing the professional qualities and personal appeal. Therefore, 16 parameters were taken into consideration to find the connection between salary and a particular parameter or parameters used to pay some basketball players more than others.
Two models were tested, and the results were quite similar. According to the outcomes of both tests, only five independents variables were considered statistically significant at the 5% level of confidence. Blocks, power forward, center, small forward, and shooting guard variables are significant after testing all variables using the regression tool to find any interdependencies. The testing of the log model showed that height, blocks, power forward, center, and shooting guard were statistically significant at the 5% level of confidence. The rest of the variables (11 and 12 respectively) were not statistically significant, so the results they provided could not have been included in the final result as meaningful. Considering the obtained results, the conducted research may seem insufficient and not reflecting the problem. However, the evaluation of the variables according to their meaning to basketball and a professional career of a player can provide these results with more depth and value.
The results of both tests demonstrated similar trends in positive and negative correlations between salary and variables. Thus, the regression test of the first model showed that height, experience, points per game, rebounds, turnover, Twitter, winning game, championships, and race positively influenced the salary of a player to a certain extent. In other words, the higher the results represented by these variables are, the higher the salary is. On the other hand, assists, blocks, steals, team value, power forward, center, small forward, and a shooting guard negatively influence the salary of a player to a certain extent. The higher the results represented by these variables, the lower the salary is. The log test showed almost identical results in terms of the distribution of the variables into the ‘positive’ and ‘negative’ groups.
Since the results of the two different tests are very similar, they can be considered as valid disregarding the values and seeming nonsense some of the variables demonstrate as the results. The obtained results clearly state that the salary of the NBA players directly depends on the overall efficiency of a player but not from the in-game indicators. It makes sense when to think about the career of a player as a whole. Each player has good and bad moments during the career, so the statistical data in the second group can and should impact the appearance of a player in the list of players for each particular game rather than the career in general. In other words, if a player demonstrates mediocre results in assists and blocks and plays badly in a position of small forward, he will not play the next game or two until training enhances these indicators. The player will become more efficient for the particular moment. The first set of variables mostly shows the potential and experience of a player in general. It makes them more valuable and influential indicators of the player’s value, so they must affect the salary somehow.
It should be noted that the sample size could have affected the results’ quality. Additionally, the distribution of African American and white players in it seems disproportionate since there are 126 African American players and only 54 white players. There are more African American players in NBA, of course, but the clarify of the experiment should have been assured by the equality of the groups. The sample size and the distribution of the participants can be called the downsides of the study. Further research in this area is necessary. The obtained results demonstrate the prevalence of the African American players in the list of the highly-paid players, but the study showed that race is not the determining factor in this case.
The conducted study showed that the situation has changed since 1985. Modern NBA players must be effective in earning more money. It looks more like a business concept today. The days of prejudice and racism have passed, according to the results of the research. Effectiveness, game awareness, successful experience in the past and present are the major factors influencing the salary of a player today. It is not enough anymore to have a certain color of skin to earn more money than more skillful partners that have a different one.
The research should be continued using bigger samples to obtain more accurate results. However, it is possible that the main question of the research has already been answered. Salary discrimination in NBA is based on objective factors rather than on the subjective and outdated race-based background.