OK, the DOF is the same since you are at f/2.8 but the further you are from a subject the greater that DOF will be.
I can use one of my macro lenses on a table-top setup and the DOF is measured in mm but that same lenses pointed at a bird on the other side of the yard the DOF may now be over 1 foot and if I point it at a plane going over the DOF becomes enormous.

You were doing basketball players from the sidelines, so even on a diagonal the furthest you could be is less than 100 feet, and from the looks of your shots you were a lot less than that. So the F/2.8 at 200 mm might not even have enough DOF to include the entire body of the player. Example: The player is running with a long stride and the leading leg and body are in focus, but the trailing body and especiallly the foot are getting soft or totally out of focus. And the DOF may not even be enough for that much to be in focus.

I found a depth of field calculator and a 200 mm lens at f/2.8 has to be 40+ feet from the subject before the DOF exceeds 1 ft/12 inches.
https://www.photopills.com/calculators/dof-table