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The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). It is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada and is considered the premier professional basketball league in the world. [3]
- Overview
- League growth and membership
- NBA championship
National Basketball Association (NBA), professional basketball league formed in the United States in 1949 by the merger of two rival organizations, the National Basketball League (founded 1937) and the Basketball Association of America (founded 1946). In 1976 the NBA absorbed four teams from the American Basketball Association (ABA), which disbanded that year.
(Read James Naismith’s 1929 Britannica essay on his invention of basketball.)
Britannica Quiz
Basketball Player Nicknames
By the early 1980s the NBA was plagued by money-losing franchises, low attendance, declining television ratings, and limited national appeal. The league soon rebounded under the leadership of David Stern, NBA commissioner from 1984, who helped transform it into an international entertainment company. Aggressive marketing highlighted star players such as Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and, especially, Michael Jordan. Other innovations included league limits on player salaries, lucrative broadcast rights for network and cable television, and expanded All-Star Game festivities.
The NBA membership was divided into two conferences, each with three divisions. There were 30 teams, aligned as follows:
Eastern Conference
•Atlantic Division: Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors
•Central Division: Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks
•Southeast Division: Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, Washington Wizards
Winners of the National Basketball Association championship are provided in the table.
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- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Jun 18, 2024 · Learn more about the NBA, a professional basketball league with 30 teams across North America. Find answers to frequently asked questions about the league, its history, rules, players, playoffs, draft and more.
Jan 25, 2024 · Learn what NBA stands for and how it evolved from a simple game invented by Dr. Naismith to a global phenomenon. Find out the full form of NBA and other related terms, such as NFL and NBA YoungBoy.
Apr 12, 2023 · What does NBA stand for? This is a question that might be lingering in the minds of some non-basketball fans. It's understandable that some people may not know what the famous initials stand for, given that not everyone is a basketball fan. Stick around as we explain the meaning of NBA, and when the name was first used.
- Kenneth Mwenda
May 30, 2023 · The Basketball Association of America was founded in 1946 by owners of the major ice hockey arenas in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States and Canada. On November 1, 1946, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the Toronto Huskies hosted the New York Knickerbockers at Maple Leaf Gardens, in a game the NBA now refers to as the first game played in NBA history. [9]
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Mar 12, 2024 · What does the NBA’s governing body do? When referring to the NBA, most think of the basketball teams and the players. But the NBA is an organization, with its own set of rules, objectives, strategies, and other activities. The NBA has a governing body, with high-level executives and other various staff that manage these activities, while the ...
