Explorative Analysis into the Relationship between Age and Peak Player Performance in the NBA

Abstract

Historically the NBA has been filled with many prominent players and stars, but one of the longest standing questions has been when these specific NBA players reach their maximum player performance. Previous research suggests that player performance reaches its greatest point from the ages of 24 to 27, with a dropoff occurring around 30 years of age. Utilizing Python 3.10, an analytical study was performed, generating visuals from data collected on the top 100 NBA players from the 2013 to 2020 seasons and evaluating the trends of points per game (PPG) and player efficiency rating (PER) as players aged. Ultimately, the study concluded that from the ages of 24 to 27 peak player performance was observed in regards to offensive output and efficiency rating, as was concluded by previous studies. Further exploration into additional metrics in combination with PPG and PER could provide further insight into how performance changes as players age, while also aiding front office decision making within trades and other team adjustments.