As a MIT-trained basketball data analyst raised in Boston’s Irish-Catholic midwest, I’ve seen how teams dismiss analytics like bad chocolate—sweet on the surface, rotten underneath. This isn’t just about stats; it’s about culture. When coaches ignore heat maps and chase gut feelings instead, we lose the game long before the final whistle. I’ve seen it firsthand: data doesn’t lie, even when the media calls it ‘embellished.’ Here’s what they don’t want you to know.