When the Los Angeles Clippers hit the court, most fans focus on the ball. They watch the players pass, dribble and shoot three-point swishes that make or break the game. But for Alex Nakagawa, B.A. ‘20, the Clippers’ manager of Basketball Development and Engineering, the game holds a different kind of thrill.
UC Berkeley alum Nakagawa leverages data science to provide actionable insights for the team’s coaches and players, from analyzing matchups to refining individual skills. Each play is a test of the tools and insights his team develops.
“With advancements like tracking player movement at 60 frames per second, we’re collecting more data in a single play than we could in a whole game ten years ago,” said Nakagawa. “There is so much room to discover new ways to analyze and improve strategy.
Nakagawa’s career illustrates how alumni of UC Berkeley’s Data Science Undergraduate Studies program are transforming fields beyond technology and business. That’s not by accident. The program is designed to empower its students to customize their education by selecting an emphasis from 29 secondary fields—such as cognition, environment, or law. By honing these interdisciplinary skills in the classroom, alumni are equipped to merge data expertise with their passions just like Nakagawa has done with basketball.
From hoop dreams to data streams
Nakagawa didn’t always know he wanted to be a data scientist. Growing up, he dreamed of playing in the NBA himself.
“I’ve been playing basketball since I was four years old,” he says. “But I stopped growing at 5’8” around 17 and realized I probably wouldn’t make it as a player.”
Rather than leave the game behind, he shifted his focus. Inspired by ESPN’s segments on sports science and articles about injury prevention, he began exploring the intersection of data and sports.
At Berkeley, Nakagawa considered majoring in computer science or statistics. Then the university announced its new data science major midway through his undergraduate career. It was a perfect fit. Its multidisciplinary nature, which included both computing and statistics courses, allowed him to tailor his education for a career in sports analytics. His efforts paid off when he landed an internship with the NBA.
During finals week of his senior year, Nakagawa got the call he’d been hoping for: an interview with the LA Clippers.
Changing the game
Today, Nakagawa manages a team whose work supports the Clippers across the board. Their data-driven advice guides the coaches’ strategies, assists scouts in identifying top prospects and contributes to player development.
One of Nakagawa’s favorite aspects of his role is collaborating with the Player Health and Wellness Department.
“They use sensors to track player fitness levels, pulling in mountains of data for us to analyze. From an injury prevention perspective, this fascinates me,” he said. “Collaborating with that team is one of my favorite parts of the job. It’s like realizing the dream career I imagined in high school.”
As the field of sports analytics continues to evolve, Nakagawa sees endless possibilities.
“Basketball as a research domain is still relatively new,” he says. “There’s so much untapped potential for innovation.”
Advice for aspiring data in sports professionals
Nakagawa encourages aspiring sports analysts to dive into the field as a hobby. He recommends engaging with open-source projects and sharing analyses of players, teams or games online.
As someone now involved in hiring, Nakagawa values candidates who demonstrate a genuine passion for sports analytics through personal projects. Students may, like him, receive critiques of these projects, Nakagawa said. While receiving criticism on his early work was challenging, he credits those experiences with preparing him for the demands of his current role.
“The players on the team are constantly getting feedback,” Nakagawa explains. “Even when it’s based on data, it’s tough to have people analyzing everything you do. But feedback is essential for growth—both for players and in this field.”
The Love of the Game, Reimagined
Nakagawa’s journey shows that a love of the game doesn’t have to end when you leave the court. His work behind the scenes shapes the strategies and narratives of every Clippers game.
And when those strategies pay off with a win, Nakagawa’s joy is as pure as any fan’s. It just has a touch of data-driven pride, too.
“I can’t take credit for what happens on the court,” said Nakagawa. “But knowing I played a small part? Yeah, it feels pretty good.”
For Data Science Undergraduate Studies inquiries:
brandilyn@berkeley.edu
