Athletes who play nba have to adhere to certain rules and guidelines. If they violate these rules, they can be fined. They also must not take performance enhancing drugs or other illegal substances. NBA players must also be in good physical shape to perform well in the game. They must practice regularly to improve their skills.
The nba is a professional basketball league that has 30 teams in the United States and Canada. The league is divided into Eastern and Western Conferences, each of which has three divisions of five teams. Each team plays the other teams in its own conference several times during the season. Teams compete for the best record in the regular season and the most championships throughout the year.
In order to qualify for the playoffs, a team must have a winning percentage higher than its opponents’ in its conference. If two or more teams have the same winning percentage, a tiebreaker system determines their final rankings. These criteria include head-to-head records; better record against teams that the tied teams played (only if those teams are in the same division); and division record.
Each spring, the NBA holds a Draft Lottery in which ping-pong balls are drawn to determine the first, second and third picks. After that, the remaining 14 teams select in reverse order of their finish in the regular season. A team can move up and down in the lottery order by making trades.
During the playoffs, the top six teams in each conference advance to the Conference semifinals, where they are paired against each other. The winners of those series then advance to the NBA Finals, a best-of-seven-game series. The NBA also hosts a variety of other events during the season, such as the All-Star Game and Skills course.
The NBA also allows fans to use instant replay, similar to the technology used in American football. However, the league does not allow it to be used for offside calls or other fouls that would have a direct impact on the outcome of the game.
There are nine former UConn Huskies on active NBA rosters at the moment. They include Stephon Castle of the San Antonio Spurs and Donovan Clingan of the Portland Trail Blazers.
The NBA has many international players from Africa, including Precious Achiuwa of the New York Knicks, Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers and Yves Missi of the Toronto Raptors. Cameroon has the most representatives in the league with five, including Embiid and fellow 76ers center Adem Bona. The league also has players from Nigeria, the DR Congo and Angola. The NBA has been trying to expand its global presence. It has held preseason games in Europe and Australia. It also plans to play an exhibition game in London this fall.