Basketball Operations Analytics Jobs at the NBA!!!

[jdaw]

The National Basketball Association is looking for Project Employees to focus on basketball analytics. The Basketball Operations Analytics Trainee will analyze, maintain, and present basketball data, utilizing various analytics software tools. This position will work with the Senior Vice President, Basketball Operations to provide statistical and quantitative solutions for use by the Basketball and Referee Operations groups. To review the full job description and apply. Click on the link below:

http://bit.ly/18xeQk2

Positions based in the league office in New York, NY.

[Crow]

Thanks for posting the opportunity.

Reading the description it sounded like much of the work would benefit teams. I was a bit surprised the league would be doing and somehow using those kinds of analytics- i.e. "analysis may include prediction of future player performance, quantification of player contributions to team performance, and assessment of team/player matchups or evaluation of deal scenarios". It doesn't explicitly say it but I wonder if the information will be shared to teams alongside the existing baseline analytic support that the NBA is already providing. Have we reached the point where the league is willing to jointly produce some types of the more advanced analytics? How far will they go down this path? Is it really going to save much money or is the assist mainly designed to lessen the math anxiety / analytic management tasks of at least some of the more traditional NBA managers? Teams can obviously continue to do as much as they want on their own but maybe now they can focus even more on the next wave of more novel, detailed or difficult to produce analytics?

[nbacouchside]

I really, really wish I had some Excel skills. I'd love to do this sort of thing. I guess I'll have to train myself in it, so the next time such an opportunity comes along, I'll feel like I can give it a shot.

[mark kieffer]

I really, really wish I had some Excel skills. I'd love to do this sort of thing. I guess I'll have to train myself in it, so the next time such an opportunity comes along, I'll feel like I can give it a shot.

I feel like the only people who get shots at those sorts of things are:

1) IVY League (or similar) grads

2) People who know somebody (like 90% of people with jobs)

3) People who have done related work for free (or practically free).

[joveLeffud]

NBA.com does not allow medium sized data set resumes through its site do you have an email or some other way this information can be passed along?

[TheSpiceWeasel]

I really, really wish I had some Excel skills. I'd love to do this sort of thing. I guess I'll have to train myself in it, so the next time such an opportunity comes along, I'll feel like I can give it a shot.

I feel like the only people who get shots at those sorts of things are:

1) IVY League (or similar) grads

2) People who know somebody (like 90% of people with jobs)

3) People who have done related work for free (or practically free).

Good point. Screw all those smart people, who get out there and network with other professionals, and who are willing to put in the time and pay their dues!

Why do THEY get all the cool jobs, while the rest of us bums are stuck out here in the cold?

[mark kieffer]

I really, really wish I had some Excel skills. I'd love to do this sort of thing. I guess I'll have to train myself in it, so the next time such an opportunity comes along, I'll feel like I can give it a shot.

I feel like the only people who get shots at those sorts of things are:

1) IVY League (or similar) grads

2) People who know somebody (like 90% of people with jobs)

3) People who have done related work for free (or practically free).

Good point. Screw all those smart people, who get out there and network with other professionals, and who are willing to put in the time and pay their dues!

Why do THEY get all the cool jobs, while the rest of us bums are stuck out here in the cold?

When I was in college, I applied for all NBA internships I could find, and didn't even get an interview.... Despite being as qualified as others whom I have met who did get interviews and internships. The main difference was a combination of stupid political stuff, and/or bad luck.

Now I am nearly 30; I can't work for a team for free.

All I was saying is that if you want to try to work for the NBA or for a franchise, and do something other than sales/marketing, it's hard to get a shot.

[Mike G]

I hope it pays well, if you have to live in NYC.

[knarsu3]

Is the position still open?

[EvanZ]

When I was in college, I applied for all NBA internships I could find, and didn't even get an interview.... Despite being as qualified as others whom I have met who did get interviews and internships. The main difference was a combination of stupid political stuff, and/or bad luck.

Now I am nearly 30; I can't work for a team for free.

All I was saying is that if you want to try to work for the NBA or for a franchise, and do something other than sales/marketing, it's hard to get a shot.

There are literally hundreds or maybe thousands of kids in college or straight out of college trying to get those kinds of internships. Of course it's hard. It's probably a lot harder now than it was when you applied (10 years ago?). But with all the opportunities people (of any age) have for blogging and doing basketball-related research, I would think anyone who wants to have a shot, has to have already built up a pretty nice basketball-related portfolio of work. It seems like the majority of the "basket-bloggers" I follow on Twitter are teenagers. And those kids put a heck of a lot of effort into what they're doing. No surprise it's tough to compete with that, and I don't think it has to do with politics, not these days.

[mark kieffer]

When I was in college, I applied for all NBA internships I could find, and didn't even get an interview.... Despite being as qualified as others whom I have met who did get interviews and internships. The main difference was a combination of stupid political stuff, and/or bad luck.

Now I am nearly 30; I can't work for a team for free.

All I was saying is that if you want to try to work for the NBA or for a franchise, and do something other than sales/marketing, it's hard to get a shot.

There are literally hundreds or maybe thousands of kids in college or straight out of college trying to get those kinds of internships. Of course it's hard. It's probably a lot harder now than it was when you applied (10 years ago?). But with all the opportunities people (of any age) have for blogging and doing basketball-related research, I would think anyone who wants to have a shot, has to have already built up a pretty nice basketball-related portfolio of work. It seems like the majority of the "basket-bloggers" I follow on Twitter are teenagers. And those kids put a heck of a lot of effort into what they're doing. No surprise it's tough to compete with that, and I don't think it has to do with politics, not these days.

I agree. But 10 years ago, analytics in the NBA wasn't as big as it was now, so doing something related to that was really tough to get into.... Anyhow, now I am about 30, have a job, student loans, bills, etc., and I don't necessarily have the time to do the research I am doing AND manage a website with my other commitments. I would write something for somebody else's if the opportunity presented itself, but it hasn't yet....

I realize that now my window of opportunity to work for a team is probably closed. I am not mad, it is what it is.... Just when somebody says "I should learn excel then apply next time", to me I think "if you are over the age of 16 and saying that, you are already super behind"....

[EvanZ]

I realize that now my window of opportunity to work for a team is probably closed.

Hardly. I'm a month shy of 38 and only started this "hobby" a few years ago (I want to say late 2010) when I was a full-time tenure-track professor, and I'm fairly certain I could have an NBA job right now if I wanted it. You have plenty of time, it's just a matter of interest (and maybe training/background).

[DSMok1]

When I was in college, I applied for all NBA internships I could find, and didn't even get an interview.... Despite being as qualified as others whom I have met who did get interviews and internships. The main difference was a combination of stupid political stuff, and/or bad luck.

Now I am nearly 30; I can't work for a team for free.

All I was saying is that if you want to try to work for the NBA or for a franchise, and do something other than sales/marketing, it's hard to get a shot.

There are literally hundreds or maybe thousands of kids in college or straight out of college trying to get those kinds of internships. Of course it's hard. It's probably a lot harder now than it was when you applied (10 years ago?). But with all the opportunities people (of any age) have for blogging and doing basketball-related research, I would think anyone who wants to have a shot, has to have already built up a pretty nice basketball-related portfolio of work. It seems like the majority of the "basket-bloggers" I follow on Twitter are teenagers. And those kids put a heck of a lot of effort into what they're doing. No surprise it's tough to compete with that, and I don't think it has to do with politics, not these days.

I agree. But 10 years ago, analytics in the NBA wasn't as big as it was now, so doing something related to that was really tough to get into.... Anyhow, now I am about 30, have a job, student loans, bills, etc., and I don't necessarily have the time to do the research I am doing AND manage a website with my other commitments. I would write something for somebody else's if the opportunity presented itself, but it hasn't yet....

I realize that now my window of opportunity to work for a team is probably closed. I am not mad, it is what it is.... Just when somebody says "I should learn excel then apply next time", to me I think "if you are over the age of 16 and saying that, you are already super behind"....

I'm with Evan--if you do good work and take it slow, you can get into the field. I have never put a ton of time into Basketball stats, just took my time and posted good work when I did post something. I, like Evan, could likely get a job in the NBA (I've been contacted numerous times)--but I choose not too, because I don't want the time commitments required and I feel I am in a good place right now-my family and church come way before sports stats for me.

[mark kieffer]

Ok, well you guys motivated me a little bit. I am going to try to work really hard and see what happens... Maybe start up a blog?

[Statman]

Ok, well you guys motivated me a little bit. I am going to try to work really hard and see what happens... Maybe start up a blog?

Probably a good idea.

My site is quite new, I have zero time to do much with it, yet it's there with a slowly increasing amount of past work. I created the site because everyone told me I should - and now I'm glad I did. I'm enjoying the ideas that sprout - even though 90% of them get shelved for lack of time. I'm now looking forward to doing daily updates on the NBA - something I've never come close to trying to make time for before.

I'm not particularly looking for work with a team, although I would seriously look at it if offered - I've dreamt of actually spending 8-12 hours a day on analytics instead of a couple a week, an actual analytics position would cause that to happen.

Problem is, I'm now starting to think I'd rather write. I have a bit of an obsession about basketball history and college ball - so the analytics I do for now are an attempt to pull the best info I can from more basic box score info (traditional stats, pace, sos, etc) - things I can do with the more limited info from D1 basketball and past NBA seasons. I like the type of "stories" that seem to spark from my current work. However, that kind of work looks more simplistic to teams and other APBRmetrics guys I'm sure - but I don't have the resources and time (and desire for now?) to work with the type of info Synergy (for example) gives us. But, what I'm doing now leads me to many article and possibly book ideas, which is appealing to me.

I'm VERY new on Twitter - that seems to be one of the ways to go if you have any ideas about the media side. I've already had three sites ask if they could repost my work at their sites (for free of course) - while one has offered very limited $$ for exclusive stuff. I don't "tweet" nearly as much as many others (for same reasons noted before), but I'm slowly getting followers which I expect will help get me views (and more followers) when I start updated new NBA stuff every day. I noticed one of my followers is some admin guy for the Pacers - so teams are out their too and possibly noticing twitter newbies like myself.

So, yes, in a longwinded way I think you should blog & tweet. Build an online "resume" like people had been telling me to do for 10 years. Wish I had started my site 10 years ago - but, better late than never.

After all that - I'm probably the last guy to answer someone on how to land an NBA gig. My one time emailing a team - Mark Cuban told me he already had an analytics guy (Roland Beech - I think he was active here at one time) and that he didn't follow college basketball and had no interest. I was just looking for "foot in the door probably would work for crap pay if I could talk the wife into it" position, and expected my email to be forwarded to the appropriate department. That was my one very feable attempt to reach out to a team.