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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. [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 · The NBA is a professional basketball league with 30 teams across North America featuring the best players in the world. Learn more about the NBA history, structure, rules, events, players and how to watch games.
Jan 25, 2024 · NBA stands for National Basketball Association, the best men's professional basketball league in the world. Learn about the origin, evolution, and trivia of basketball and the NBA from this web page.
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May 30, 2023 · Template:Infobox sports league. 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.
What does the abbreviation NBA stand for? Meaning: National Basketball Association.
Mar 20, 2019 · There are 82 games in the NBA’s regular season. When does the 2018-19 NBA season begin and end? The regular season tips off on October 16 and finishes on April 10.
