The National Basketball Association (NBA) is one of the world’s leading professional sports leagues. The NBA is known for its star players, high-scoring games, and annual playoffs that culminate in the NBA Finals. The NBA also has a global presence, with games and TV shows broadcast in more than 200 countries and territories in 40 languages.
The NBA has thirty teams in the United States and one in Canada. The NBA’s regular season runs from October to April, with each team playing 82 games. The playoffs, which culminate in the NBA Finals, begin in April and can extend through June. The NBA has a salary cap, which limits the amount that teams can spend on player salaries. This helps keep the league competitive and prevents the wealthiest teams from buying all the best talent. The NBA also has a draft, which allows teams to select the best available player.
Each year, the NBA holds an All-Star Game, which features the top performers from each conference. The league also offers other events during the All-Star break, such as the Three-Point Contest and Skills course. The winning team, voted on by fans, receives the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy. The team’s coach and general manager also receive a championship ring.
In addition to the All-Star Game and other special events, the NBA has a number of other traditions throughout the season. For example, shortly after the All-Star break is the trade deadline, when teams can exchange players to improve their chances of making the playoffs. The NBA also holds a number of preseason and overseas games in November and December.
During the regular season, each team plays its division rivals four times each (home and home) and its interconference opponents twice each (home and away). In addition, the NBA schedules each team to play all of the other teams in its own conference once at home and once on the road.
The best eight teams in each conference reach the playoffs, where they are seeded according to their regular-season records. The higher-seeded teams face the lower-seeded teams in a best-of-seven series. The first-round matchups are usually played at the highest-seeded team’s home court.
The NBA’s list of all-time greats includes superstars such as LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Michael Jordan. The Celtics dynasty of the 1950s and 1960s has several players on the list, including Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain. The NBA has also had many famous coaches and players, including Magic Johnson, LeBron James, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The NBA has offices in New York City and around the world, with games and TV shows broadcast in more countries than any other sports league.