The National Basketball Association (NBA) is an American professional basketball league, organized into two conferences of 14 teams each. The NBA is one of the most popular sports in the United States, with a global following. In addition to the professional basketball players, the NBA has a number of other employees, including coaches, trainers, managers, and statisticians. The league also has an extensive broadcasting and marketing arm.
The NBA is headquartered in New York City. Its teams are located in cities throughout the United States, as well as Canada, and other parts of the world. The NBA is a member of the International Basketball Federation, and its games are televised in 212 countries in 42 languages.
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The franchises in the NBA are owned by investors. Each owner must sign a contract with the league that outlines their investment and their rights to operate a team. These contracts are negotiated and ratified annually by the Board of Governors. This system has led to a high degree of parity in the league. Over the past six seasons, there have been six different champions – a record for the NBA.
In the early 1990s, the NBA experienced further expansion, adding the Chicago Bulls, Seattle SuperSonics (who moved to Oklahoma City four years later), Milwaukee Bucks, and San Antonio Spurs. This, coupled with the rise of superstars like Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson, boosted interest in the NBA around the world.
Today, the NBA continues to evolve. The game has changed from its roots in the ABA with innovations like the 24-second shot clock and three-pointers, as well as the introduction of a variety of defensive strategies. The influx of foreign players has helped introduce new styles of play, and advanced statistics have become an integral part of the game.
In recent years, the NBA has increased its emphasis on physical defense and ball handling. The style of play has changed as well, with a greater emphasis on 3-point shooting and fewer mid-range shots. The league has incorporated many innovations and changes to the game, and this has helped make it more exciting and enjoyable for fans.
Each year, the NBA awards a number of honors to its players and teams. The Coach of the Year award goes to the coach that has had the best season, and the Most Valuable Player award is given to the player who is deemed to be the most valuable to his team that year. The Sporting News also awards an unofficial Executive of the Year award to the general manager who is deemed to have done the best job for his team.
The NBA offseason is a time of massive transfers and trades. The 2023 NBA collective bargaining agreement introduced restrictions that make it more difficult for teams to acquire All-Stars by sending multiple assets to another team. In addition, the league recently implemented a salary cap. This limits the amount a team can spend on players, but it also allows teams to carry over some of their existing salaries from previous seasons.