The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in the United States and Canada. It has 30 teams, 15 in each of the Eastern and Western conferences. Each team plays other teams in its conference twice during the regular season, and also each of the other conference’s teams once. The NBA also has an All-Star game, which is played during the midway point of the season.
The NBA was formed in 1946 as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). The BAA merged with the National Basketball League (NBL) in 1949 to become the National Basketball Association. The league’s headquarters are located in the Olympic Tower at 645 Fifth Avenue in New York City. The NBA’s international offices are in Atlanta, Georgia.
In addition to the championship trophy, the NBA also awards several other trophies and honors to players and teams during the season. These include the Most Valuable Player Award, which is given to the player considered to have had the most impact on the game during a single regular season. The NBA also gives out individual awards, such as the Bob Cousy Award for the player considered to be the most outstanding point guard in the league.
Despite a number of challenges, the NBA continues to grow and prosper. Revenues are up, and the league has a strong credit rating. In fact, Fitch recently affirmed the NBA’s A- rating on its outstanding debt instruments. The league also has a wide range of sponsorships, from Kendall-Jackson wine to Skims shapewear.
The NBA’s in-season tournament, the Emirates NBA Cup, is a popular event for fans and an important test of competitive balance for teams. Last year, the winners of both groups — Golden State and Memphis — made the playoffs. This year, both teams have a good shot of doing the same. The competition also features a matchup between former teammates Klay Thompson and Demarcus Cousins.
One of the biggest concerns surrounding the in-season tournament before it launched was whether or not it would have a significant playoff impact. By making the games part of the regular season and, being in-conference, potentially having some playoff tiebreaker value, the NBA has made sure that every team is motivated to compete in the tournament. This has made it a very different beast than the cup tournaments in European soccer, where teams could choose to opt out for extra rest by sitting their best players.