Players' perspectives on the phenomenon of home court advantage in the NBA
Players' perspectives on the phenomenon of home court advantage in the NBA
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Issue Date
2011
Authors
Levenson, Brian
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Abstract
The phenomenon known as "home court advantage" has played a significant role in basketball, and even more specifically the advantage has had a major impact on the culture of the NBA. The purpose of this study is to explore the phenomenon from the players' perspectives and gain a better understanding for the factors that contribute to the phenomenon. Using a Grounded Theory approach, five current NBA players were interviewed, ranging in experience (two rookies, and three veterans), position (two "wings" and three "big-men"), and age (22 to 35). The information gathered in those interviews was analyzed, and broken down into five common themes: comfort, crowd, referees, psychological factors, and pre-game/game plan. These themes all provided interesting perspectives into the differences that exist at home and on the road; additionally they were the main contributors to the central theme of the phenomenon: experience. All of the players interviewed noted the importance of experience, or lack their of, in their ability to perform in different competitive environments. The findings of this study give greater insight into what causes players to perform differently on the road, and sparks discussion as to ways that players and teams can develop an advantage no matter where they are playing. The findings are important to the field of Sport Psychology because they shed light on the potential impact of psychological changes in performance, which occur when athletes perform in different environments.