NBA nba brings together the world’s best athletes to create an unforgettable sports experience. Its rich history is filled with legendary rivalries, personal sagas and team dynasties. NBA players are also global citizens who use their fame and power to make a positive impact in their communities. The NBA’s social responsibility programs, NBA Cares and NBA 2K League, help youth in need by supporting education, family, health-related and other community needs.
The NBA is one of the world’s most popular and influential sports organizations, with a global presence in television, digital media, merchandise, live events and more. NBA games are viewed in more than 100 countries and territories. Each year, the NBA hosts All-Star Weekend, an annual celebration of the best players in the league and fans from across the United States and Canada.
The league’s current organization consists of 30 teams, which are divided into two 15-team conferences and three divisions with five teams each. The divisional alignment was introduced with the 2004–05 season and is designed to reflect the population distribution of the United States as a whole. During the regular season, each team plays four games against each other within its division, and each division winner earns a playoff berth. The top-two division winners in each conference are guaranteed to receive a first-round bye.
During the playoffs, each series is played as a best-of-seven game. The higher-seeded team in each series enjoys home-court advantage (games 1, 5, and 7). Teams with the same record are separated using several criteria, including head-to-head victories, point differential, and conference record.
After the best-of-seven games in each series, the winning team is awarded the championship. The NBA Championship is the highest achievement for any professional basketball team and is regarded as the most prestigious award in American sports.
The NBA All-Star Game is held in February each year, and features the best players from each conference. The top vote-getters from each team are named captains, and fan votes determine the rest of the All-Star starters. The winning team of the All-Star Game is awarded a special gold medal.
The NBA’s organizational form, under state organization law, impacts the rights and duties of its member team-owners. If the NBA is a joint venture partnership, for instance, each owner would have fiduciary duties to the other owners and could be subject to a court-ordered expulsion from the league.