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TED February 5, 2026

Today’s athletes ARE built different #TEDTalks

Summary

In competitive sports, particularly basketball, athlete body sizes have dramatically transformed due to economic and strategic factors. The NBA's 1983 revenue-sharing agreement sparked a global search for tall athletes, leading to a significant increase in 7-foot-tall players from a rarity to 10% of the league. This trend reflects how financial incentives and competitive advantage can reshape the physical characteristics of professional athletes within a single generation.

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