Rise and Fall of Stars: Investigating the Evolution of Star Status in Professional Team Sports

45 Pages Posted: 18 May 2011

See all articles by Yupin Yang

Yupin Yang

Beedie School of Business, Simon Fraser University

Mengze Shi

Hong Kong University of Science & Technology (HKUST) - Department of Marketing; University of Toronto - Rotman School of Management

Date Written: May 16, 2011

Abstract

This article describes an empirical study of the rise and fall of star athletes, using data from the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1987 to 2008. We measure star status by the number and share of all-star votes, and apply both Tobit regression and hazard models to investigate the determining factors for star status. We find that the attainment of star status begins with the athlete’s exceptional individual performance. We also find that having won a championship in the past can have a long-lasting effect on a player’s popularity. The popularity of an athlete depends on his team in two ways: The attainment of star status is associated with strong team performance, and star teammates can reinforce each other’s popularity. Interestingly, while stars can move from a losing team to a winning team to extend their star life, a team change can be very risky for new stars. Our results also suggest that teams with a large fan base, winning records, and star players should leverage these assets in attracting and retaining star players.

Keywords: Celebrity Brand, Star Athletes, Sports Marketing, Tobit Regression, Hazard Model

Suggested Citation

Yang, Yupin and Shi, Mengze, Rise and Fall of Stars: Investigating the Evolution of Star Status in Professional Team Sports (May 16, 2011). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1843508 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1843508

Yupin Yang (Contact Author)

Beedie School of Business, Simon Fraser University ( email )

8888 University Drive
Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6
Canada

Mengze Shi

Hong Kong University of Science & Technology (HKUST) - Department of Marketing ( email )

Clear Water Bay, Kowloon

University of Toronto - Rotman School of Management ( email )

105 St. George Street
Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E6 M5S1S4
Canada

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