John Hollinger

John Hollinger
Name	John Hollinger
Birth date	1971
Birth place	Alaska
Occupation	Sportswriter; basketball analytics executive; author
Years active	1996–present
Employer	ESPN; The Athletic; Memphis Grizzlies
Notable works	Hollinger Player Efficiency Rating

John Hollinger is an American sportswriter, analyst, and executive known for pioneering advanced statistical evaluation in basketball. He developed influential metrics and worked in editorial and front-office roles that bridged sports journalism and professional basketball operations. His methods reshaped how National Basketball Association teams, media companies, and fans evaluate player performance and roster construction.

Early life and education

Hollinger was born in Alaska and raised in a family with ties to North American athletics and academia. He attended secondary school before enrolling at Yale University where he studied history and became involved with campus publications and athletic coverage. After Yale, he pursued graduate studies at the University of Michigan and later at the University of Virginia, developing an interest in quantitative methods and statistical modeling that intersected with his passion for basketball and sports reporting.

Basketball career and analytics work

Hollinger began his career writing for regional and national outlets, contributing game analysis and columns that incorporated statistical measures from sources including Basketball-Reference and box-score data. He created the Hollinger Player Efficiency Rating (PER), synthesizing metrics such as field goals, free throws, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, turnovers, and pace adjustments to produce a single-season efficiency value. Hollinger expanded on prior work by researchers linked to Box Score Plus/Minus, John Hollinger's PER predecessors, and analysts influenced by the Moneyball movement popularized in baseball by figures associated with Oakland Athletics and Billy Beane. His analytic approach integrated concepts from linear regression, adjusted plus-minus studies advanced by analysts connected to ESPN TrueHoop networks, and tempo-free statistics inspired by Dean Oliver and the Basketball Prospectus community.

Hollinger's broader portfolio included offensive and defensive ratings, usage percentage, and win shares–style estimators used by front offices. Teams such as the Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, and Cleveland Cavaliers have variously incorporated advanced stats into scouting and player development practices that Hollinger influenced indirectly. His writing popularized tempo-free measures aligned with discussions around the Three-point shot revolution, shot-charting trends analyzed by groups related to Synergy Sports Technology, and the analytics movement that intersected with executives from Houston Rockets and the Sacramento Kings.

ESPN and The Athletic tenure

Hollinger joined ESPN as an NBA analyst and writer, producing columns for ESPN Insider and contributing to platforms linked with ESPN.com editorial and broadcast coverage. At ESPN he published widely cited player rankings, trade evaluations, and seasonal projections that informed debates on platforms such as SportsCenter, ESPN Radio, and feature shows involving commentators from ABC and commentators formerly of Turner Sports. He later departed ESPN for The Athletic, where he served as a senior writer and editor focused on deeper analytics pieces, long-form features, and proprietary metrics used by readers and editorial staff. At The Athletic he collaborated with reporters covering franchises like the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, and Chicago Bulls, while engaging with analytics practitioners from outlets including FiveThirtyEight and The Ringer.

Following his journalism career, Hollinger moved into an NBA front-office role with the Memphis Grizzlies as Vice President of Basketball Operations and Strategy, applying his analytical framework to roster construction, draft evaluation, and salary-cap planning. In Memphis he worked with executives connected to the NBA Draft, Collective Bargaining Agreement, and scouting departments, contributing to decisions that interfaced with player development staff and coaching personnel.

Published works and contributions to analytics

Hollinger authored numerous columns, player compendia, and annual projections widely read by fans and professionals. His published contributions include the development and popularization of PER, pace-adjusted efficiency metrics, and context-neutral player valuations discussed alongside metrics from Basketball-Reference creators, KenPom-style college analytics, and advanced scouting reports used by franchises. He has been cited in discussions of lineup optimization, matchup analysis, and salary-cap valuation alongside economists and statisticians affiliated with MIT, Northwestern University, and independent analytics groups such as Carmelo Anthony analytics (as a broader subject of study) and consulting firms that provide data to teams. His work influenced subsequent books and articles on analytics authored by journalists and academics connected to The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, and academic journals addressing sports statistics.

Personal life and awards

Hollinger lives with family and maintains connections to academic and analytics communities through speaking engagements at conferences associated with Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, workshops hosted by universities such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of Michigan, and panels including representatives from NBA G League and international organizations like FIBA. He has received recognition within sports media for innovative contributions to basketball analysis, including citations from peers at Rotowire, Bleacher Report, and industry honors shared at events involving representatives from ESPN and The Athletic. Hollinger continues to influence both media discourse and operational practice in NBA front offices and remains a frequent commentator on topics ranging from player evaluation to strategic trends shaping professional basketball.

Category:American sportswriters Category:Basketball statisticians Category:People from Alaska