NBA fans around the world love to watch the game’s stars perform on the hardwood, but they also enjoy learning about the league’s history and culture. The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the premier professional basketball league in the United States, with 30 teams competing in two conferences of 15 teams each. The NBA and its teams are known for their high level of talent, entertainment value, and social activism.
The 2023-24 season was a banner one for the Houston Rockets, which added several major pieces to their roster. Amen Thompson wowed with his athleticism and versatility, Dillon Brooks snarled at superstar opponents, and Fred VanVleet steadied the team’s ship. But even with the addition of those names, Payton Pritchard was a best-kept secret. Pritchard was the team’s most valuable player by per-36 averages — scoring, rebounding and assists — despite playing only a fraction of the games.
With an eye to the future, the NBA has been experimenting with new rules that could change the game. The NBA’s new “no-charge area,” for instance, would expand to a six-foot box that prevents a player from being called for contact within it. There will also be a limit on physical play away from the ball, and a five-second reset of the shot clock during stoppages of action.
In the current system, the top six teams in each conference automatically qualify for the playoffs, which are best-of-seven series. The remaining teams are ranked seventh through 10th and compete in a play-in tournament for the right to face the number one seed in the second round. If a team is tied with another in its own conference, tiebreakers are based on head-to-head record and intra-conference record.
In addition to the new play-in tournament, there have been some changes to the playoff structure in recent years. In the past, the first round was a best-of-seven series; it is now a best-of-six. In addition, the number of teams who can advance to the next round was cut from eight to six.
The NBA is a global sports brand, and its players have become celebrities in almost every country. The league has embraced its global reach, promoting itself in a multitude of languages and televising games in more than 200 countries and territories. The NBA also produces shows such as “Inside the NBA” and features many of its star players on its social media accounts. However, the league doesn’t shy away from tackling serious issues, such as the shooting of an unarmed black man by police in Ferguson, Missouri. The players’ union, the NBA Players’ Association, has a long history of supporting the community and using its platform to promote peace.