Parity Across Major Leagues

Jan 18, 2021
2:15:38pm

Cosmo's Uncle Contributor

Looking at the linked post, I was struck by how many NBA franchises have never won a championship (11 out of 30), and how few have ever won multiple championships (9 out of 30). I've always known that the NBA had less parity than, say, the NFL, but had never really looked at the hard numbers. So, I decided to compare the four major leagues, starting in 1947, which is the first year all four major leagues had a championship.

As shown below, whether measured by teams with multiple championships, teams with at least one championship, or teams with at least one championship appearance, the NBA ranks last for parity. Even looking just at more recent history (championships and championship this century), the NBA still ranks last.

Thoughts on why? My first instinct was that this was because of the NBA's lack of a hard cap and its guaranteed contracts. But, MLB has no cap at all and has guaranteed contracts, and it ranks first in parity in almost every category. So my revised theory is that it's the combination of no hard cap, guaranteed salaries, and roster size. In the NBA, a single player can have far more impact than in any other league. Likewise, a single bad contract can weigh a franchise down more than in any other league.

Current franchises with multiple championships since 1947:

MLB: 57% (17 out of 30)

NFL: 56% (18 out of 32)

NHL: 42% (13 out of 31)

NBA: 33% (10 out of 30)

Current franchises with at least one championships since 1947:

MLB: 80% (24 out of 30)

NFL: 72% (23 out of 32)

NHL: 65% (20 out of 31)

NBA: 63% (19 out of 30)

Current franchise with at least one championship appearance since 1947:

MLB: 97% (29 out of 30)