An applied statistics teaching lesson that uses NBA playoff data to illustrate uncertainty in sporting contests

Abstract

In this article, we offer a teaching lesson on combinatorics and binary outcomes that utilizes real‐world data. The focus of the lesson is to teach students how to analyze the effects of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2003 decision to extend the first round of its postseason from a best‐of‐five series of games to a best‐of‐seven series using combinatorics and ideas about binary outcomes. Students conjecture how much longer series will make less certain the outcomes of these series and then use the 27 years of first‐round series results we provide to evaluate their conjectures on how series results have changed since 2003. After finishing this lesson, students will have a firmer grasp on applying combinatorics and binary outcomes to real‐world situations. This lesson is compatible with both traditional and remote classes and can be extended to other sports, making it a lesson for all academic seasons.