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Apr 25, 2024 · LeBron James has scored more points than any other player in basketball history. James broke the nearly 40-year-old record of 38,387 points held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The game of basketball has been a game with a long history. Below is a detailed look at the history of the timeline from 1891 to 2023.
- Smith Benson
- 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
Official website. NBA.com. 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.
The league was formed as the Basketball Association of America (BAA) in 1946 and took its current name in 1949. The histories of NBA franchises that were also members of the American Basketball League (ABL), National Basketball League (NBL), National Pro Basketball League (NPBL), and American Basketball Association (ABA) are also included.
Looking back at every NBA champion since 2000. Starting with the 2000 Finals, relive that Larry O'Brien moment for every team from then until now! 14:04. Every NBA championship celebration since 1980.
Oct 18, 2021 · The United States joins South Korea with China fighting alongside North Korea. Oct. 31, 1950: Earl Lloyd, Chuck Cooper and Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton break the color barrier in the NBA as the ...
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Oct 18, 2021 · Nov. 1, 1946: The game now counted as the NBA’s first official game is played at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. The New York Knickerbockers beat the Huskies 68-66. April 23, 1947: Howie Dallmar ...
