The NBA season begins in mid-October and runs through early April. Every team plays 82 games during this time. Each team competes within its division, as well as outside it. The goal of the regular season is to qualify for the playoffs, where the best eight teams in each conference meet to determine their position in the postseason. During the regular season, the division champions earn a playoff spot, while other teams qualify as wild cards. The postseason is a much higher stakes game, and teams that make it to the finals can be the NBA champion.
During the 1960s, the NBA became highly competitive, with teams ranging from eight to fourteen teams. In the late 1950s, the Boston Celtics, led by legendary centre Bill Russell, won 11 of their 13 championships. In the 1960s, the league’s composition shifted to fourteen teams, but the NBA still avoided signing African Americans, and the ’70s saw the rise of the Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls.
The game evolved over the years to make it more interesting and exciting. The first half of the century saw the introduction of a shot clock, a timer that stops play when a team misses a field goal. The shot clock, which resets after 14 seconds when the offensive rebound is made, was also introduced in the 1950s. During this time, the NBA increased the scoring average from 79 to 93 points per game, as the pace of play improved.
The NBA playoffs are made up of the top eight teams in each conference. After the regular season, the top eight teams in each conference meet in the playoffs. The best eight teams from each conference advance to the next round. After the playoffs, the two most improved teams will advance to the conference finals. If you want to watch your team in a better atmosphere, buy a season ticket. They will be worth the money.
The NBA grew in popularity in the 1980s, with five new teams joining the league and adding four more. The game also featured the first African-American players, including Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton and Chuck Cooper. They helped propel the NBA into a national consciousness. The league still boasts 22 million American veterans and fans. And with all the new teams, the NBA is now even more diverse than ever. The future is bright for the NBA.
The regular season is interrupted by the annual All-Star Game. Coaches vote for the top picks, and the captains of the respective conferences are named. The remaining fourteen All-Stars are chosen by the coaches. Once the All-Stars are determined, each conference drafts their own team from the player pool. The top vote-getter of each conference wins the first pick, and the Game MVP is given to the player who had the best overall performance during the game.
In 1948, the NBA had seventeen teams. It merged with rival National Basketball League in 1949. The NBA head office is located at the Olympic Tower in New York City. The league has grown in popularity internationally. The current divisional alignment is effective for the 2010-11 season. The current divisional alignment was first introduced in the 2004-05 season. During the 1948-1951 season, the Fort Wayne Pistons, Minneapolis Lakers, and Rochester Royals joined the NBA. The NBA also gained a new member in the 1970s: the Indiana Pacers.