The Hot Hand in the NBA 3-Point Contest: The Importance of Location, Location, Location / Robert M. Lantis, Erik T. Nesson.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Lantis, Robert M.

Contributor:

National Bureau of Economic Research.

Nesson, Erik T.

Series:

Working Paper Series (National Bureau of Economic Research) no. w29468.

NBER working paper series no. w29468

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource: illustrations (black and white);

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, Mass. National Bureau of Economic Research 2021.

Summary:

Do basketball players exhibit a hot hand? Results from controlled shooting situations suggest the answer is yes, while results from in-game shooting are mixed. Are the differing results because a hot hand is only present in similar shots or because testing for the hot hand in game situations is difficult? Combining repeated shots in a location and shots across locations, the NBA 3-Point Contests mimics game situations without many of the confounding factors. Using data on the 1986-2019 contests, we find a hot hand, but only within shot locations. Shooting streaks increase a hot hand only if a player makes his previous shot and only within locations. Even making three shots in a row has no effect on making the next shot if a player moves locations. Our results suggest that any hot hand in basketball is only present in extremely similar shooting situations and likely not in the run-of-play.

Notes:

Print version record

November 2021.