Confessions of an NBA Scorekeeper

Here is a great article over at deadspin.com.

We often think of stats and box scores as sacred. We study them every morning either in the paper or on computer screens. The buzz at the water coolers is about who kept the double-double streak going last night. How many assists did Chris Paul have?

It's incredibly deflating to hear how subjective all of this is. Stat-taking is subject to the whims of the stat-keepers who, apparently, have little to no oversight. Double digit rebounds and assists are sexy and are encouraged from the top down.

Here are some highlights:

"Teams have a legitimate, vested interest in stats being inflated, just like the league does," Alex says. "Ten assists is way more interesting than eight assists. As humans, those are more appealing and interesting numbers. The NBA benefits and every team benefits from bigger, flashier numbers."

......

As Alex remembers it now, Olajuwon had a double-double with nine blocks at some point during the fourth quarter. "Someone in management came to me and said, basically, Thou shalt give Hakeem Olajuwon a triple-double. Come hell or high water, he's getting a triple-double. I'm like, uh, OK."

.......

He goes on to admit that one night he gave Nick Van Exel 23 assists, just for the fun of it. He was blown away not only by the lack of reprimand, but by the attention Van Exel got for it. The court side commentators praised him for his adept play. The national media went nuts over his huge game.

It's a good read and at least a little surprising.