NBA Coastal Elites: The Geography of Basketball Success

Published: March 16, 2021, 9 a.m.

Are all NBA superstars destined to leave smaller market teams for Brooklyn, L.A. or Miami? Across the league, high-performing players are gravitating to coastal teams and bigger markets. The trend’s been building for years, increasingly splitting the league into teams that “have” or “have not.” Kirk Goldsberry plots the map and salary data, why this trend is bad for the NBA, and what strategies could turn things around. Then, as part of ESPN’s Women’s History Month celebration, hear from Lisa Salters’ sit-down with NFL referee Sarah Thomas.