The National Basketball Association is a professional basketball league in the United States and Canada. It features 30 teams and is the premier men’s professional sports league in the world. Its players represent a diversity of races and nationalities. The NBA is one of the most popular sports in the world, with over 220 million fans watching games each season.
When the NBA started, it was just a footnote among the other professional sports in America. But with its consistency and big cities, it was able to make a name for itself. In 1946, NHL team owners were interested in putting together their own professional league to generate extra income. This resulted in the first NBA teams being located in cities where the NHL teams also played.
The NBA also brought in the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, and Indiana Pacers. In addition, the New York Nets (later Brooklyn) joined the league. The decade also brought the rise of some of the NBA’s biggest players, including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dave Cowens, Elvin Hayes, Moses Malone, and Artis Gilmore.
The regular season of the NBA runs from mid-October to early April. Each team plays 82 games during this period. During this time, they compete for a place in the playoffs. Eight playoff spots are filled after the regular season and the champion is decided after four rounds. Each division winner earns a spot, while others may enter as wildcards.
The playoffs in the NBA are contested between the top two teams, with the winner of each series taking the title. The winners of the playoff series earn home court advantage in every series. In the 1960s, the Boston Celtics, led by centre Bill Russell, won 11 titles in a row. This was during the period when there were only eight or fourteen teams in the NBA.
The NBA draft process is a very important part of the NBA’s season. Each team has one pick in the first round and one pick in the second. The NBA draft has changed the fortunes of many teams over the years. There have been some stellar draft classes and some terrible draft classes. For example, the 1984 draft class may be the best NBA draft class ever, but the 2000 draft class could be one of the worst.
Point shaving has a negative impact on the NBA. It is one of the most common scandals in the sport, and it has affected both the NBA and college levels. In addition, the NBA has been the most vocal opponent of sports betting since the early years of the game. However, it has mellowed its stance in recent years. Online sports betting is still an issue in the NBA.
The greatest NBA drafts have changed the game. In 1984, the NBA selected John Stockton as the 16th pick. If he had known then, he would have been the fourth pick. Other famous draft classes from modern times include the 1996 and 2003 classes. The 2009 draft class is on the way to becoming one of the best in the history of the league.