The National Basketball Association is a professional basketball league with 30 teams based in the United States and Canada. The league splits into two 15-team conferences, each consisting of three divisions with five teams each. The current divisional structure was introduced in the 2004-05 season and reflects the geographic distribution of the United States. The NBA was founded in 1946 with 11 teams, and through a series of expansions, contractions, relocations, and mergers now has its present composition of thirty teams.
The NBA is the highest level of organized basketball competition in the United States and has become one of the most popular sports in the world, attracting global audiences with its exciting game play and talented athletes. The NBA was once a struggling league plagued by money-losing franchises, low attendance, and poor television ratings, but has since transformed into an international entertainment company under the leadership of Commissioner David Stern, who took office in 1984. Through aggressive marketing and the promotion of star players like Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Michael Jordan, the NBA has enjoyed a major revival of its popularity and revenue. The NBA has introduced many innovations to its game, including a 24-second shot clock to speed up the pace of the game and an expanded All-Star Game that features both conference champions and the league’s best overall player.
NBA games are played at arenas, stadiums, and other venues throughout the country. The league also holds regular season games internationally, with the first official matches taking place in 2011. Each regular season lasts about six months and concludes around mid-April. At the end of each season, teams compete in the playoffs for a championship. The victors of each conference meet in the best-of-seven NBA Finals, which takes place in June (the semifinal series is played in May). The winner of the final championship series receives the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy and is presented with a Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award. The other players, coaches, and general managers on the winning team are also given a championship ring.
Each year, the top eight teams in each conference qualify for the playoffs. The teams are seeded based on their record, and the first-round matchups are set (1 vs. 8 and 2 vs. 7). If two teams have the same record, standard NBA tiebreaker rules are used to determine which team advances to the next round.
The NBA has a rich history of legendary players, teams, and moments. The league continues to evolve, and some of the biggest names in sports have expressed interest in ownership. In July, the NBA signed a new media deal that will pay it about $77 billion over 11 years. The league is also considering adding an expansion team in Las Vegas. The future of the nba looks bright, and it is sure to continue to entertain and thrill fans around the world for decades to come.