title: Left-handedness in professional basketball: prevalence, performance, and survival.
abstract: Performance and handedness data were examined for 3,647 professional basketball players who participated in at least five games during the period between 1946 and 2009. Left-handed players comprised 5.1% of all professional basketball players compared to the 11% prevalence in the general population. Left-handers had better performance averages, in terms of the number of points, rebounds, and blocks over their careers, as well as other measures, and had significantly longer careers than right-handed players. Handedness was not significantly related to mean or median life expectancy.
authors.affiliation: School of Community Health Sciences, University of Nottingham.
authors.forename: Tyler P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Lawler
authors.forename: Frank H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Lawler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001490:Basketball / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001827:Body Height; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D008017:Life Expectancy; D008297:Male