NBA's "Tinderization"

The National Basketball Association is one of the most statistics leagues in the world. Seasons, games, plays, everything is analyzed in the smallest detail, to allow players, coaches and assistants to have the highest detailed of statistical knowledge. But the numbers that catch Tom Haberstroh’s attentions - writer for ESPN.com - are way simpler and exist since before stats became so complicated.

We’re talking about NBA franchises’ home teams’ winning percentage, a data that has a certain weight in the league, not just for the “difficulties” of some arenas - like maybe in Italian football - but more for the thousand of air miles that players travel every year. In the last few years, the home wins percentage has dropped constantly, reaching this year its all-time lowest with 57,4%. Just to give a term for comparisons, in the 87/88 season the home teams won 67,9% of times. Haberstroh questioned himself about the reasons behind those data and - after talking with players, coached and managers - he reached the conclusion that it has nothing to do with the schedule, that is always full of games, back-to-back and away trips (like Spurs’ Rodeo Trip), nor with “field questions”, like difficult arenas or referees’ decisions towards the home teams. 

And so, what’s affecting on the away teams’ increased effectiveness? ESPN’s writer reports of the so-called NBA’s “Tinderization”, that means the tendency fo players to use the famous dating app (that would be Tinder) to find… Female companionship during the long travels of NBA’s regular season. “There’s no need to go to the clubs all night anymore”, said an NBA GM about that. "It's absolutely true that you get at least two hours more sleep getting laid on the road today versus 15 years ago", says one former NBA All-Star, who adds that players actually prefer Instagram to Tinder when away from home. "No schmoozing. No going out to the club. No having to get something to eat after the club but before the hotel”.

Moreover, the awareness and consciousness of players about being professional has widely increased. “Players takes more seriously they job”, said former Nuggets and Kings’ coach George Karl. “In the seventies, drinking booze and using drugs was norm, but today is different”. Players are also more careful with their physical shape, the nutrition and the hours of sleep, taking care of themselves as become the most important thing. Social networks also had a huge impact on the matter. If someone decided to go out clubbing the night before games, he will almost certainly get caught on social media, causing tons of troubles. Is way more easier to stay in the hotel and organize a date with one of the many dating app they have. Too bad for the home teams.