The National Basketball Association is one of the most popular sports leagues in the world. It has a global fan base that extends to all six inhabited continents. It has a rich history of rule-breaking, diversity, and superstar players. It is a sport that has evolved to meet the demands of a growing and changing culture.
NBA games are played by two teams of five players each. Each team must have a center, a power forward, a small forward and a shooting guard. The tallest players are the centers, the strongest and most agile players are the power forwards, and the shortest but best ball handlers are the small forwards. The shooting guards and point guards implement the coach’s game plan by running the offense and defending one-on-one on the defensive end.
Teams play 82 regular-season games. This includes 18 games against each other within their division, and 24 games against teams from the other conference. In addition to the regular season, each team participates in the playoffs and the NBA Cup. The regular season usually wraps up around the middle of April, and voting for awards begins shortly afterward. The league’s top performers earn the Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player and Rookie of the Year awards.
The NBA also awards a coach of the year and an executive of the year award. The NBA has a long history of partnerships with television networks in the United States. It signed a contract with DuMont in its eighth season, the 1953-54 season. This was followed by a contract with NBC in the mid-1960s, and ultimately an eight-year deal with ESPN starting with the 1984-85 season.
With the rise of cable television, the NBA expanded its reach by broadcasting games to more homes. The league also started an international expansion in the 1990s. It now exports games and other content to fans in more than 200 countries and territories, in 50 languages.
The NBA has also made an effort to diversify the ranks of its players. It was the first professional league to allow high school postgraduates to enter its draft, and it has drafted many international players. It has also experimented with the idea of a second-year contract for high-school graduates to give teams an incentive to retain them once they are eligible to sign with another team.
The NBA is known for its fast-paced game, and a key element of the sport is the ability to keep up with the action. The league has instituted a number of rules to prevent players from stepping out of bounds, which can lead to a turnover. For instance, a player may not leave the 3-point line until the clock reads less than 30 seconds, and he must be in or near the paint when the clock is at 40 seconds. It is not allowed to hold, push, tripped or otherwise physically touch an opponent, and any person who does so can be disqualified.