Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the world and for good reason. The game has a unique combination of speed, agility, and strength that makes it a fun and entertaining sport to watch. The NBA has grown into a global sports franchise that features some of the best players in the world, including stars like Lebron James and Kobe Bryant. The NBA also has a long and storied history, starting out as a minor league that struggled to find its place in the sports world. Today the NBA is the premier professional basketball league in the United States and Canada with 30 teams across the country.
The NBA is organized into two 15-team conferences, each with three divisions with five teams each. The current divisional alignment was introduced in the 2004-05 season. Each team plays 82 regular-season games over the course of the year, playing teams in their own conference four times and each of the other two conferences’ divisions either three or four times.
Each spring, the NBA holds an annual draft in which all 30 of its teams pick rookies to add to their rosters. The process is designed to give teams the opportunity to select the best available talent. Some of the best players in NBA history have come through the draft, including Hakeem Olajuwon and Michael Jordan.
In order to qualify for the draft, a player must have finished high school or equivalent and be at least 19 years old. Players with previous NBA experience are preferred, but any qualified applicant can apply. There are even some people who have never played a basketball game in their lives who still make the cut.
A team’s performance during the Regular Season determines how they rank in their conference. The top eight teams in each conference advance to the Playoffs, which are a best-of-seven series to determine the champion of the league. The victors of the playoffs receive the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy.
During the 1980s, the NBA experienced its first full explosion into pop culture and American society. The league grew by five teams, and the Magic-Bird rivalry drove fans to arenas like never before.
The most popular player in the NBA is currently Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has a career average of 24.4 points, 11.6 rebounds and 3.9 blocks per game. He is one of the best players in league history, and his defining characteristic is his unyielding desire to improve. Every season, week, month, and day he pushes himself to become better than the last, a trait that has made him a perennial All-Star. He is the face of the NBA and a global icon. He has the potential to be one of the greatest players ever. The only question now is how far he can take his game. If his career continues on its present trajectory, he could challenge Wilt Chamberlain’s all-time scoring record.