A Narrative Inquiry into Professional Basketball Players’ Experiences of Deviant Overconformity

This study explored professional basketball players’ athletic identity and deviant overconformity, focusing on its mechanisms, manifestations, and intrinsic motivations. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five Korean Basketball League (KBL) players. Results showed that deviant overconformity was shaped by personal, structural, and cultural mechanisms. Players voluntarily continued training and competition despite physical and psychological limits, leading to both achievement and injury. These behaviors were sustained by intrinsic motivations, including personal growth, social recognition, responsibility, and enjoyment of basketball.