This is mainly for anyone out there who's worked with/for an NBA team: what is the best way to get an internship?
I know there's a bunch of college students on here so I think it would be helpful if someone could offer some advice on getting an internship with an NBA or maybe a group that worked with NBA stats. I don't mean like the internships they advertise on NBA.com - those seem more about management or sales. I was thinking more along the lines of an internship in an analytics department of a franchise. Does anyone know: A. if such internships exist, and B. what the best way to get apply for them/who to contact is?
Internships
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italia13calcio
- Posts: 100
- Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2013 2:54 am
Re: Internships
Analytics internships do exist. They often get listed on nba.com and I see some there occasionally. They might get filled more quietly as well. Sometimes they get mentioned here. One can always try to inquire directly. Some people wiggle in. They may not turn over much. The big wave of opportunities may have been a few years ago but there will be more as some move up and some move out.
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jbrocato23
- Posts: 105
- Joined: Thu Jul 26, 2012 8:49 pm
- Location: Dallas, TX
Re: Internships
One place to try is http://www.teamworkonline.com/ and search "basketball" in the Job Title field.
Re: Internships
Some teams post on teamworkonline.com and/or their own websites but others get enough applicants through word of mouth. Regardless, building a relationship over time with people in basketball is crucial.
Qualifications are generally some mix of these:
Communication/People Skills - how to talk to current/former players/coaches/front office personnel, communicating with people without any stats background, negotiations
Statistics - modeling, linear/nonlinear regression, econometrics, time series, simulation, bayesian statistics, data visualization, handling large datasets
Programming - SQL, R, scripting languages, maybe VBA
Software - R, Excel and Powerpoint for sure, maybe Stata, SPSS, SAS, Access, Tableau
Basketball Operations/Analytics - knowledge of all NBA players (at least name, position, contract) and most top prospects, play-calling, terminology, offensive/defensive schemes, CBA/salary cap, knowledge of everything that has been done already in the public domain
Previous Experience - basketball-related internships, writing/blogging, class projects, playing, coaching, managing, handling SportVU data
VERY Helpful - being a player/coach/manager of a basketball team at as high a level as possible
Qualifications are generally some mix of these:
Communication/People Skills - how to talk to current/former players/coaches/front office personnel, communicating with people without any stats background, negotiations
Statistics - modeling, linear/nonlinear regression, econometrics, time series, simulation, bayesian statistics, data visualization, handling large datasets
Programming - SQL, R, scripting languages, maybe VBA
Software - R, Excel and Powerpoint for sure, maybe Stata, SPSS, SAS, Access, Tableau
Basketball Operations/Analytics - knowledge of all NBA players (at least name, position, contract) and most top prospects, play-calling, terminology, offensive/defensive schemes, CBA/salary cap, knowledge of everything that has been done already in the public domain
Previous Experience - basketball-related internships, writing/blogging, class projects, playing, coaching, managing, handling SportVU data
VERY Helpful - being a player/coach/manager of a basketball team at as high a level as possible